For the Record
by James Locklear
Summary: For the entirety of his three years at Beacon, Jaune has not won a single practice duel against his classmates. When Pyrrha convinces Blake to help her find out why, they discover his rare semblance- and all the danger that comes with it. New cover art by the talented Exvnir!
1. Chapter 1

**For the Record**

Chapter 1: Reserve thy Judgment

* * *

No one in the history of Beacon had ever heard of anything like it. Nobody had ever seen a record like this.

In his three years at the school, Jaune Arc had achieved a perfect 100% loss rate in his practice duels.

In his first year, his losses were expected- though he pushed himself very hard, it was clear that, skill-wise, he was simply behind the other students at the school. But through intense coaching from his partner, Pyrrha Nikos, and his own dedication and hard work, he had become much more proficient in battle. Anyone watching him fight with his team could see it- he was many times the warrior that had first started at the school.

Which is why when he never won a single bout in his second year, it seemed more like an anomaly than anything else- but still, everyone supposed it was _possible_.

But he kept pressing himself to become better- stronger, smarter, and more skilled. In his third year, he really began to stand out. Other Hunters and Huntresses in training were always glad to have Jaune on their side when they went into combat- on the battlefield, his defense had become legendary at the school. He was able to shake off blows that would take other hunters out of the fight. His semblance had yet to show itself, but many suspected it would be somehow related to his seemingly unending aura reserves and unshakable defense.

So why, then, wondered Blake Belladonna, as she watched Cardin wiping the floor with Jaune yet again, was he so easy to defeat in a duel? It never seemed like Jaune was holding back. But his legendary defense suddenly seemed to become paper thin whenever he was challenged one-on-one.

Blake usually hardly paid any attention to other people's duels- usually she could be found engrossed in a book while other fights were going on. But the strange matter of Jaune's record was enough to pique her interest in the fight. After all, even though she wouldn't consider Jaune and herself to be particularly close, she had fought along side him- she had seen his unshakable defense in action. So even though she had a book open on her desk, she found herself studying the fight more than reading.

Nobody liked to bring up the record in front of Jaune- but after three years of his friends telling him, "You'll get him next time!" and "Bad luck!", it felt hollow not to bring up the record.

Goodwitch called the match when Jaune's aura got low, turning up the lights as she approached the two combatants.

Jaune, out of breath and scratched up, shook his head at new addition to his perfect record. But he wasn't the type to ever give up- so he immediately asked the question he asked after every loss.

"Well, Professor? What do I need to work on?"

She always had an immediate answer to this question- but this time, for the first time, it was different. In fact, she didn't really seem to hear him- her eyes were studying him closely, almost quizzically, as she approached him.

This was not lost on Blake and the class- the silence, though brief, was unusual.

"Was it my stance?" offered Jaune. "Last week you mentioned my stance, so I've been working on it all week. Did it look okay?"

"Your stance was flawless, Mr. Arc." she replied, quietly. Her eyes continued to study him closely.

"Maybe I waited too long to attack? Sometimes I rely too much on my defense, I know you've mentioned that before..."

"No, your attacks were... well timed and well executed," she said. She almost seemed to be more speaking to herself than talking to Jaune, as if she were thinking aloud.

Jaune began to get a little nervous. Goodwitch always had advice- always. That was a constant in the universe, so far as he was concerned. Dogs go bark, cows go moo... and Goodwitch had something you could improve on. Goodwitch had something everyone could improve on. Jaune didn't doubt she would critique Ozpin's combat technique given the chance.

Except today, it seems. She continue to slowly approach Jaune, which only made him more nervous. Three years in her company had not made the professor any less intimidating.

He began to grasp at straws. Goodwitch giving him advice was part of his whole routine-he would get the advice and the spend the week working on it. If she gave no advice... if he had nothing to work on... how could he improve? "Was it my... timing? Maybe I missed some openings?"

She finally stopped approaching him, only a few feet from him. Her eyes were still quizzical and analytical. They seemed to be breaking him down to his very core.

"Professor? Please, what should I work on?"

There was a pause. The whole class was dead quiet as they watched the two. This behavior was so abnormal, so out of left field for the professor, that everyone was waiting with baited breath to hear her response. You could cut the tension with a knife.

And then she said the words that the school would be talking about for weeks. A phrase which people joked Goodwitch had never uttered until that very moment in her life.

"Mr. Arc... I have no idea."

* * *

Blake's walk home from that class was one of her favorites- she generally liked time to walk with her thoughts, and the class one of the few where she wasn't going somewhere with one of her teammates. Her three companions each had other individual lessons scheduled- which made this one of her few moments of quiet.

Blake loved her teammates very much- but after three years of sleeping in the same room, going to mostly the same classes, and having the same group of friends, each moment of solitude was a blessing for the introvert.

"Blake! Excuse me, Blake!"

She sighed quietly. The universe, it seemed, had other plans for her moment of quiet. She turned behind her and saw Pyrrha approach her on the path.

"Hello, Pyrrha," she greeted once the Amazonian had reached her.

"Blake, hello! I hope I'm not interrupting- Do you mind if I walk with you back to the dorms?"

Blake couldn't help but smile at Pyrrha, and her perfect politeness. Blake had no doubt that if she told Pyrrha she wanted some alone time, the warrior would leave her be.

But Blake wasn't pushing people away- not anymore. "Sure, Pyrrha."

The two walked on the school grounds for a few moments before either said anything. Blake appreciated the quiet- and she never once in her left felt the need to fill silence with unnecessary talk.

"So, how have you been, Blake?"

"Fine."

"Classes going well?"

She couldn't help but shoot a look Pyrrha's way. Rushing over to catch her after class, then suddenly making small talk... just seemed unnatural. "Classes are going fine," she replied after a beat.

There was another short pause before Pyrrha said anything else. Based on Pyrrha's tone, though, this question actually held some weight. "That was... a pretty strange class today, don't you think?"

Blake thought back to the class- it was pretty strange. She'd never seen the Professor act like that- and certainly had never seen her withhold advice. Which had to be the case, right? It's not as if the professor Goodwitch could actually... have nothing to say?

"It was odd," said Blake carefully. She didn't know where Pyrrha was going with this, so she chose her words carefully. "I don't think Professor Goodwitch should have said that to Jaune. I'm not sure how he'll take it... I'm not sure how I'd take it."

"I saw you watching some of the fight- what did you think?"

Blake blinked at Pyrrha. "What did I think of... Jaune's fight?" The redhead nodded. "I'm no teacher, Pyrrha- and I didn't learn my skills through any classical training. I hardly feel qualified to-"

"Blake, please," cut off Pyrrha, stopping on the path. "You're one of the most skilled huntresses in our class. What would you have said, if you were in Professor Goodwitch's shoes? What do you think he should work on?"

Suddenly it clicked for Blake, and she looked directly in her friend's eyes. "This... this is about your training with him, isn't it? You're not sure what to work on, either."

Pyrrha's guilty face said it all, and wore a sad smile as she spoke. "It seems I'm... a bit of a failure as a teacher, I'm afraid. Three years, and he hasn't won a single bout, and I'm... just not sure what to help him with anymore."

Blake shook her head. "You can't think that way. You're a great teacher- we've all seen him on the battlefield... he's nearly invincible against the Grimm. Everyone knows that was your training. And in team matches, he performs really well." Never as well as his teammates, but... Blake didn't feel the need to add that last part.

Her smile brightened up at that. "Well, Jaune had a lot of talent. But I still can't figure out why he has such bad luck in the ring against any of us."

"I'm just not sure I'm the right person to ask- I bet Ruby would have some good advice-"

"Please, Blake. I've... rarely heard your take on combat technique. It would mean a lot to me."

Blake sighed, but closed her eyes, thinking back on the fight. She thought about his stance, and his attacks, and his defense- everything seemed in place. "Everything seems... fine. I mean he's not perfect, everyone has something they need to work on, but..."

"But it seems like he's doing a lot worse than his technique should allow him to, right?" Completed Pyrrha.

"Especially against a sloppy technique like Cardin's," joked Blake with a smile. "Look, I'm sorry I can't be of more help. I just don't see anything to fix."

Pyrrha walked over to a nearby bench and sat down with a sigh. "You aren't the first person I've asked, and they all say about that exact thing. I'm just not... sure what's wrong. He's become strong, and fast, and talented, but he can never... he just always seems like a different person in the ring."

Blake sat next to her. "Listen, whatever the problem is, it certainly is not your teaching. Maybe he just lacks... natural talent for duels. It's not like the skill is the same as fighting Grimm. But whatever the issue, you shouldn't be beating yourself up. And hey," she added with a small smile, trying her best to cheer her friend up, "it's way better that he's great against the Grimm and poor in his duels, and not the other way around. Then he might actually be in danger!"

Pyrrha looked at her and gave her another sad smile. "You're right, Blake. I hadn't thought of it like that. You're good at cheering people up, you know that?" Suddenly Pyrrha looked serious again. "Actually... do you think you could do me an enormous favor?"

"Favor?" Blake didn't like the sound of the enormous part.

"Do you think you could find Jaune, and... make sure he's okay about all this?"

Blake blinked in shock. "Me? Pyrrha, I hardly know Jaune. I'm sure he'd rather talk to you."

"I just can't get him to open up about his dueling record. I think he feels like because I've trained him so much, it reflects badly on me, so... he likes avoiding the subject."

Blake almost laughed. Her? Comfort Jaune? "What about Ren? Or Nora? Surely he would rather talk to someone on his own team."

"He's their leader, Blake- he's been working so hard at become stronger, that I think he hates talking about his losses in front of them."

"Then why not Ruby, or Weiss, or Yang?" Or just anybody but me, she thought. Of all their friends, she and Jaune had spent almost no time together. She wouldn't even know what to say.

"Yang can be very sweet, but sometimes she can also be..." Pyrrha's voice dropped off, looking for the right words. Blake knew what she meant- Yang wouldn't handle the situation delicately if it was required. "And he'd never open up around Weiss... you know how he is."

Blake groaned. Three years and he still is harboring that crush? He stopped asking her out every week, so Blake had just assumed his affections had gone too.

"So Ruby?" asked Blake, begging for Pyrrha not to have a reason.

Pyrrha looked meaningfully at Blake. "I... I could ask Ruby, if you really don't want to do it."

Blake looked back into Pyrrha's eyes. Pyrrha was being polite again- giving Blake an out to take, seeing that she really didn't want to do this. And the words, "Yes Ruby" were on the tip of her tongue when she froze.

Realizing she was being a coward again. Realizing that this was just another form of running- letting someone else shoulder a friend's burden.

And she was never going to run again. She promised too many people that.

So she frowned and finally sighed, "No... no, I'll talk to him. Just tell me where he is."

Pyrrha's smile could have lit up a room, but all Blake felt was dread.

* * *

Blake would never have found Jaune if Pyrrha didn't know exactly where he was.

"Jaune's spot", as Pyrrha had described it, was on the outskirts of the campus, on the edge of the cliff overlooking the water. She said to look for a large oak on the cliffside, and Jaune would be sitting against it, looking out over the cliff.

Walking along the cliff, she finally spotted him. She took a deep breath- and though part of her body was telling her to run away, and not deal with all this crap- she signed, and walked over to him.

He didn't notice her approaching at all- he seemed to be totally lost in his own thoughts. His eyes were hard a focused, seeming to concentrate on nothing in particular on the horizon. Every now and then he would gently throw a pebble off the cliff, clearly just something he did when his mind was occupied on other things.

It took Blake clearing her throat, only feet away from him, to notice she was there.

"Ahh!" He yelped in surprise, dropping the pebble he currently held. "Jeez, you scared me... Blake?"

He seemed surprised. She couldn't blame him- this was the only time she could think of in all her time at the school that the two were alone together.

"Hi, Jaune," she said simply.

"What... what are you doing here?" he asked, still recovering from his shock.

Blake blinked. It was the obvious first question, but she hadn't thought of an answer for it. Should she tell him the truth? That Pyrrha was worried about him, so she sent Blake to make sure he was okay? Or would that cause him to close up? Ugh, what she wouldn't give to just go home, get in bed and just read...

Wait, that's it! "I was just looking for a good spot to read when I saw you."

"Ah," he said, nodding. "Well, you've certainly found a good spot. I've read many a good book under this tree."

He had? "You... have?" Blake had hardly ever seen a non-academic book in any of her friends hands, let alone Jaune's.

"Sure. I read to unwind." He noticed the incredulous look on Blake's face and chuckled. "I mean, don't get me wrong, Blake- as many Comic books as anything else, but... I like a good novel." He picked up the stone he had dropped, as he gestured next to him. "There's a pretty good root that you can sit in right here, if you want to read some."

She glanced at the spot he had gestured at- the tangle of roots did seem to make a pretty perfect chair, but she couldn't help but note it was only a foot or so from the spot he sat in.

He registered her hesitation, before having his own realization. "Ah, of course! Stupid Jaune. You came out here to read _a_ _lone_ , not next to the village idiot. Well, you know what, I should probably start heading home anyway, I've got a lot of..."

"No!" Yelped Blake, much louder and faster than she had intended. The last thing she wanted to do was have to find him again and start this process all over.

"No?" Jaune eyed her, suspiciously.

"No, really, don't leave on my account." She settled into the nest of roots, finding it even more comfortable than she had imagined. "I get pretty lost in books, anyway. Don't worry about me."

"I'll stay quiet then," he said with a smile.

Normally she would have appreciated the sentiment, but since she was here to get him to open up...

But she settled in and pulled out her book- carefully finding the place she left off. Half her mind was content to let it be- he clearly seemed fine, and it was nice being able to just be with someone without them constantly interrupting her reading. She could just go back to Pyrrha and tell her Jaune seemed fine.

I mean, he had to be, right?

She glanced up at him- he, lost in thoughts, seemed not to notice. His eyes, unmoving, gazed at some point in the horizon. He played with the single stone in his hand.

There was something odd about watching him in his thoughtful state- his eyes, and even the way he held himself seemed completely different from how he usually was. He looked calm, but worried. Focused, but intense.

It didn't feel right. Something was weighing on him.

Crap, thought Blake. I've got to ask.

"Jaune?"

"Hmm?" he hummed, snapping out of his thoughts.

"What did you think of today's class?"

He looked at her quizzically. "Today's...?"

"Today's class. Your duel." He didn't seem to register her words. "What... Professor Goodwitch said."

He continued to look at her incredulously, until there was a flicker in his eyes, and then he started laughing. This caught Blake completely off guard, as she could not imagine what was funny about the situation.

"Oh Blake," he chuckled sadly, finally calming down, "Who put you up to this?"

She felt heat in her cheeks at being caught. "No... no one put me up to this..!" she began to sputter.

"Come on, Blake. I'm not that stupid." He chuckled a bit again at himself. "Well, okay, I know I'm not the smartest guy, but... come on! We've hardly talked in three years! Suddenly you're showing up, asking me about my day? Did you owe someone a favor?"

"That's not-"

"Plus you're blushing right now. I think this is the first time I've ever seen you look flustered, since I met you." He smiled, sadly.

She opened her mouth for another protest, but... closed it and sighed. This wasn't working. She would have to try something else. She could feel her ears flattened back in her bow. "Okay, yes. Pyrrha asked me to come see how you were."

Jaune groaned. "I knew it."

Now Blake was in. "And I can walk back and find her, and tell her you're perfectly fine. Or I can tell her whatever you think she wants to hear. But I can tell there's something on your mind, Jaune. And if you want to talk about it, I'm here. I can tell you're putting on a brave face for those around you- I understand that. Maybe nobody understands that as well as I do." He looked doubtful. "Look, I'm not going to pretend I would have searched you out and found you if Pyrrha hadn't asked." She raised an eyebrow. "I'm pretty sure I wouldn't have been able to if I had tried. But if I really can help- if there's something you want to talk about- I'm here, okay?"

The look on his face was one which she had trouble reading. "What?" she asked, feeling the heat in her cheeks again at his steady gaze.

"Nothing, I... just think that's the most I've ever heard you say."

She rolled her eyes at him.

"I'm kidding! No, thank you Blake, that, uh... that means a lot. Really." He stroked the back of his head.

"So?" she asked, after a moment.

He sighed. "You have to promise me something, first. You won't tell anyone about this- okay?"

"Of course," she nodded.

"Nobody. Especially not Pyrrha. Okay?"

"Sure."

He chewed his lip, thinking of the right words. "So, there's the matter of... my record."

"The perfect loss record?" As soon as she said it, she wished she hadn't. It seemed a little mean said out loud.

He flinched, but continued. "Yeah. You know, it's obvious to me that I'm the worst in the class-"

"Jaune, you're not-"

"I mean... combat wise. You don't have to make me feel better, Blake, I know this about myself. I'm the worst combattant in the class." Blake still wasn't sure if this was true or not- she'd seen him on the battlefield, after all- but she let him continue. "So it makes sense that I'd be losing all my duels, you know? That adds up to me. But I'm that way because my classmates- you guys- are especially talented, and I started way, way behind you guys. But as long as I keep driving, training as hard as I can... and I'm better than I was the day before, I'd be okay with that. You know? As long as I kept improving as hard as I could, being last... wasn't so bad."

She nodded.

"But that's the thing. When the Professor said... she said she wasn't sure what I should work on- there's really only two ways to interpret that. One, that I'm so freakin good, I don't need any more help from her..." he chuckled at this idea. "and the other is that I've sort of... reached my potential as a Hunter. If she feels she can't train me anymore- then the only real possibility is that... that's the end. I've become my best, and my best is way, way behind everyone else in the class."

"I'm sure that's not true," said Blake.

"That's the only possibility I see," he said quietly.

"I don't care what she said," said Blake, shaking her head. "And I don't care what you say. Look, I know your dueling record is- poor-"

"Putting it lightly."

"But I've seen you fight the Grimm- you are clearly just as strong and skilled as anyone else." She could feel herself blushing again- it wasn't in her nature to openly flatter anyone. But if anyone needed it, Jaune did. "Sure, you started out at Beacon a little behind, but you've caught up."

"So why can't I seem to touch any of you? Why is it that Cardin- who hasn't spent an extra hour training since the got here- can still wipe the floor with me, every time?"

She didn't have an answer.

He began to stand up. "Look, I appreciate you saying all that. But no matter how hard I've pushed myself, I can't win a single bout. I think Goodwitch is right- I think this is just... as good as I can be."

"Jaune..."

"I'm just not at all of your levels. And that's okay, Blake. You guys are so incredibly talented, I'm glad I even got close. It's just a..." he looked out towards the horizon again. "...a hard pill to swallow, I guess."

He brushed his pants off and stood up. "Thanks for listening, Blake, but... I think I'm going to just walk for a little while."

She opened her mouth up to say something to stop him, but she couldn't find any words to say. He seemed much more broken up about this than she had expected. She wanted to find Pyrrha and tell her what was wrong- she would probably know what to do for Jaune- but she had made a promise, and she keeps her promises.

But what had Professor Goodwitch meant by what she said? Could she have really meant that Jaune had reached his peak? It seemed so unlikely, so unlike her to mean that.

Well- there was one way to find out. She groaned- she was about to get herself a lot more tied up in this than she wanted.

But Jaune was a friend. And this was the right thing to do.

* * *

Blake rounded the corner near Professor Goodwitch's office, still not even sure what she would say. "Hey Prof, what the heck was that in class today?" didn't seem like it would go over well, nor did "You kind of broke Jaune, what the hell."

She was still trying to think of an actual question, when she heard voices from the Professor's office.

"...heard about your little outburst today, in class," said Ozpin's quiet voice from the Professor's office door. Blake stopped in her tracks. She doubted anyone but a fanus would be able to hear the conversation through the thick, closed door.

"You mean to Mr. Arc?" relied Goodwitch. "I'm frustrated, Oz. We should tell him."

...tell him?

"Glynda," came Ozpin's softer voice. "You know why we must, for now, keep this a secret."

"Even from him?"

"Just for now. His semblance may be hindering him, but if it was discovered in the wrong way..."

"I suppose you're right. I don't like it, though. What am I supposed to teach him?"

"It won't be long now, Glynda. I promise. I'll tell the boy myself, so long as his-"

As soon as Blake heard the door knob jiggle, she moved as fast as she was able, jumping away from the door, and around the corner. Besides Ruby, after all, she was on of the fastest at the school.

What on earth were they talking about? A semblance, hindering a person? Did that make any sense at all? And why keep it a secret from him? How could they know when he didn't?

It didn't make any sense.

Curiosity getting the better of her, she headed to the library. She couldn't think of a semblance that would make anyone weaker- but there were so many volumes on the phenomenon of semblance that she was sure she could find an example of at least one.

Arriving at the Library, she quickly found the area of books she was looking for. After all, there are few places on earth she was familiar with as this library.

She finally found a book that might help- "Common and Uncommon Semblances". It was a tome of a book, and as she flipped through it, it seemed to be an encyclopedia of all documented- and some undocumented- semblances. She sat down in front of the bookshelves on the floor, and began to flip through it.

The book seemed to be divide by how commonly the semblances occurred. She started, most logically, with the common ones. Elemental control, illusions... no, those didn't make any sense. Heightened speed, strength... nor those. She continued to flip through the book. All the ones she read about made no sense.

So she started looking at the rarer and rarer ones. Healing, and teleportation... no. Telekinesis and polarity? No, no. She kept flipping through, quickly skimming the definitions of the ones she had never heard of.

Finally, when she was nearly finished with the whole book- by this time hours had gone by, and it was dark outside- she found it. Something she had never heard of in her life- a power that made everything about Jaune click.

* * *

Pyrrha nearly jumped out of her chair in her room when her door slammed open. She turned around to find Blake, out of breath, holding an enormous book.

"B... Blake?" she asked. "Is everything...?"

Blake was relieved Pyrrha was the only one here. "It's his semblance," Blake said with confidence. She brought over the book, and placed it in front of Pyrrha. "That's what's causing it. His semblance is causing him to lose the duels."

"His... semblance? What? That's impossible- he doesn't even know what it is yet! How could it be making him-?"

"Because, Jaune's semblance doesn't make _him_ stronger." She pointed to the definition in the back of the book. "His semblance makes _everyone around him_ stronger."

Pyrrha looked. "Theoretical/Undocumented Semblance: Bestower."

* * *

 _Author's Notes:_

 _Hello! Yes, you there, reading this right now! The fact that you've gotten this far makes me very happy._

 _New chapter soon, I promise! There's a lot I have in mind for this story, and a lot of questions still to be answered. Why all the secrecy? Why would that power be dangerous?_

 _I guess you'll have to wait and see! Reviews are loved, no matter what they say._

 _-James Locklear_


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2: Neither a Borrower nor a Lender Be

* * *

"Bestower?" asked Pyrrha in confusion. "You mean..."

"Here, read this," Blake pointed to a paragraph in the book's long definition, and settling on the bed next to Pyrrha's desk.

Pyrrha began to read aloud. "...Though the evidence is not substantial, there have been a few reports and historical examples of people with a Bestower ability. Unlike most other semblances, which can enhance a person's own strengths, a Bestower has the ability to enhance the aura and abilities of those around him or her. Due to it's undocumented nature, it's difficult to know exactly what the ability enhances, how much control a Bestower has on who around him or her is enhanced, or even the effects it would have on the person receiving the power. Many scholars dismiss this semblance as myth, due to the enormous aura reserves it would require." She looked at Blake. "You mean you think..."

Blake nodded. "We've been thinking about this all wrong. When we were thinking about Jaune's loss today, we were only looking at him and what he was doing. And you said so yourself- there's not a lot wrong there. But think back to to the duel- or any duel of his, really- and think about his opponents. Have you ever seen Cardin shrug off attacks like that before? Or move that fast? Outside of fighting Jaune, I mean."

Hope was starting to seep into Pyrrha's voice and she realized the implications. "He... was moving unusually well..."

"You've watched Jaune's fights more closely than I have. Each loss- would you say it's because Jaune's not fighting to his potential- or is it, actually, that each of his opponents seem to be performing so well? Or even... beyond their abilities?"

Pyrrha's eyes were wide with realization. "Beyond their abilities..."

"Pyrrha, I think he's enhancing everybody he goes up against. It's why there's such a difference between his skills against the Grimm and against another person- he's probably lending them half his aura, and he has no idea."

Blake wasn't sure how Pyrrha would react when she too realized what it was, but she certainly didn't expect this.

Pyrrha, throwing away her careful poise and practiced politeness, was suddenly and fiercely hugging Blake. "Oh, thank you, thank you, thank you!" she repeated happily.

Blake couldn't help but stiff up- hugs, especially sudden and fierce ones, weren't exactly her thing- but allowed it to happen.

Pyrrha broke the hug, laughing with relief. "Blake, you have no idea how long I've been... how much time I've worried about Jaune... to think he's been making us all stronger...! And if I hadn't asked for your help, we might never have known. Thank you, Blake, I... I can't imagine how happy he'll..." She trailed off as the realization that Jaune was still in the dark hit her. "Blake! We've got to find Jaune, right away, to tell him-"

"Whoa, hold on," said Blake, putting up her hands. "We're both pretty positive that he's a Bestower- it does make everything add up- but we need to be absolutely sure before we tell Jaune. The last thing we want to do is get his hopes up that we've finally found his semblance, and then crush him if we're wrong."

Pyrrha nodded. "That makes sense. But what do we do? How can we be sure?"

"You're training with him tomorrow, aren't you?"

"Yes. We always practice the day after his duels."

Blake looked thoughtful. "I think I have an idea."

* * *

"Time?" asked Blake, out of breath from the exercise.

"Four point two seconds," said Pyrrha. "About the same as the first nine."

Blake looked at the test she had come up with in the corner of the courtyard- it was really very simple. She would push her speed as much as she could over the marked distance- and Pyrrha would time it. When Jaune showed up, if she was markedly faster, well... then he truly was a Bestower, and was enhancing people's abilities without knowing.

"I can hardly see you, Blake- you move so fast! How far is that distance, anyway?"

Blake shrugged. "It doesn't matter- so long as I'm faster when he shows up, we know it's true."

"Speak of the devil," said Pyrrha with a smile, suddenly waving behind Blake. Blake turned and saw Jaune in the distance, jogging over to them.

"Remember," whispered Blake, "Don't mention what we're doing until we're sure."

Pyrrha simply nodded.

"Hi Pyrrha," greeted Jaune as he arrived. "Heya, Blake- are you, uh... joining us today?"

"Something like that," said Pyrrha. "Your attack and defense have been improving so well over these years we've trained together. But I've realized we've never really worked on your agility or speed... so I thought I'd bring in the resident expert on those subjects."

"Oh, that makes perfect sense!" Jaune seemed to be relieved- after the fiasco during yesterday's class, he was just glad to have something new to work on.

Blake couldn't help but stare at Pyrrha for a beat. Did she just... come up with that lie? On her feet? Just then? When did miss polite get so good at lying?

Pyrrha turned to Blake and smiled. "... that's right," was all Blake could think to add.

She started on the line they had drawn on the dirt. Four point two, she thought. That was the time to beat. Any small improvements wouldn't prove anything- but anything major, and they'd have their proof. Could she get under three? Maybe lower?

"For now, just watch the way Blake moves over this short distance," she heard Pyrrha explain. "Pay as close attention as you can, as she'll be moving quite fast- it might be a little hard to see her!"

Jaune nodded in determination, and then turns towards Blake.

"Ready when you are, Blake," said Pyrrha.

Blake took a deep breath, got into a starting position. "Ready," she replied to Pyrrha.

Pyrrha started the countdown. "Three- two- one- go!"

Blake pushed off the ground, suddenly a blur- but still, it didn't feel much different than her first ten times. She tried to push herself harder, but it just wasn't coming.

She crossed their makeshift finish line. She took a second to catch her breath and then looked at Pyrrha expectantly.

"Four seconds exactly," said Pyrrha, looking down at her scroll's timer, almost hiding the disappointment in her voice. Blake would have cursed if Jaune wasn't there. It was an improvement, but certainly not by much. Certainly not enough to prove anything.

Jaune, of course, had no idea what was going on through their heads. "Wow, Blake! That's incredible! I mean, I've seen you move in combat before, but still- it's really something. I doubt I'll ever be able to move that fast."

Blake just looked him over for a second, in thought. Why wasn't this working? What was different? Would they have to duel him, to see what the cause was?

"Blake? H... hello?"

What was different about the duel?

"Jaune," she said softly, "Tell me about your thought process when you enter a fight. Or a duel. Do you do anything to mentally prepare, or... is there a certain way you think while fighting?"

"Er- what does this have to do with agility, Blake?"

"Just trust me," she said, knowing it would be more than enough for him.

"Of course," he said, without a single moment of hesitation. "I don't do much before hand, to be honest. In the battle? Pyrrha and I worked on meditation for a while, to help me focus. I guess I just kind of take a moment, and try to push everything else out- which feels like a kind of meditation- and I just try to focus all my... er, energies or... just thoughts... on my opponent. That way it's easier for me to see what they'll do or how they'll fight. I try to stay aware of my surroundings, but focused on my objective." The way he said that last part made it sound like a quote directly from Pyrrha, and from the way she smiled, Blake guessed it probably was.

"Jaune. I want you to do exactly that to me while I run, okay? I want you to focus one me, exactly like you would an opponent. No- even more so. Don't worry about your surroundings- just..." she blushed a bit, but it had to be said... "focus only on me."

"Er, okay, I'll... try."

She walked over to her starting line, glancing at Jaune. He had his eyes closed, and was taking a few deep breaths. And as she was setting up in her runner's position, she glanced over at him as he slowly opened his eyes, light blue suddenly much darker, with that same focus that he had been looking at the horizon with- and they suddenly snapped to her eyes...

Holy hell, she thought. She could _feel_ it.

It was hard to explain the sensation- it felt as though her Aura pool was suddenly endless. It felt like electricity was running from her head to her toes. Her muscles seemed to demand their use- it almost seemed difficult to stay in the runner's position.

She wondered what his usual opponents thought this was. Did they not notice? In the heat of a duel, did they not care? Were her Faunus senses just more able to detect the change?

"Ready Blake?" asked Pyrrha. She sounded louder- was her hearing better, too?

"R... ready," nodded Blake. Half of Blake loved the new sensation- she felt practically invincible- but her more careful, controlled half still wasn't sure what it would do.

"Keep focusing, Jaune," she heard Pyrrha say. "Three..."

Blake's leg muscles tensed as the new energy built up inside her.

"Two..."

She could see every blade of grass between her and the finish line.

"One..."

Was Pyrrha counting slower? Or... could it be...

"Go-!"

From Blake's perspective, all that new energy and power was suddenly let loose as she tore through the ground. It hardly felt like she was running- in fact, it felt more like she was kicking away the earth with every step, pushing with everything she had. And she suddenly had a lot more.

From Jaune and Pyrrha's perspective, Blake disappeared.

Blake stood at the finish line. "Time?" she asked. Unlike every other time she ran the length, she wasn't out of breath.

Pyrrha's jaw hung open, her thumb still poised to press the start button on her scroll's stopwatch. "I didn't... I mean, I couldn't have... Blake, you-"

Jaune snapped out of his trance. "Blake, that... was... AWESOME!" he yelled, blue eyes back to their normal bright state. He was walking up to Blake as he rambled excitedly. "I have never seen anyone move that fast, not even Ruby! It almost seemed like you teleported! That was so cool! Now I seriously doubt I can ever be that fast- or even a hundredth of that speed- but I couldn't even see you move, so you gotta tell me- how the heck did you do that?"

"I didn't. Well, I didn't... by myself."

Jaune looked confused. "What..? Of course you did, who else could have?"

Blake glanced at Pyrrha quickly, who nodded at her.

"You did," said Blake, looking directly at Jaune.

He looked back and forth at them, not understanding.

"Jaune," said Pyrrha, gently. "Blake figured out your semblance."

* * *

Jaune's face was unreadable. Blake saw more emotions on it than she could count- hope and relief- anger and frustration- and many in between.

They had just finished telling them everything they knew. The book, what they suspected his power was, and what they were really doing here today to test it. Blake had still not mentioned what she heard from Ozpin and Goodwitch- but she needed to make sure Jaune was okay with all this before she brought up the strange secrecy.

Pyrrha stood near Jaune, explaining more of what she had read in the book. He quietly and intensely listened.

Blake sat against a nearby wall- she was still feeling the effects of his powers, long after he had broken concentration on her. She was taking a couple deep breaths- it was, frankly, hard to calm down. Her heart was pounding. It was hard to tell if the link between them still existed, or if the power he lent stayed after the connection was broken...

"Are you sure?" he asked, after hearing the whole story. "Couldn't it just be I'm a poor duelist? Couldn't Blake have just had... an unusual burst of speed?"

"No," said Blake with quiet confidence. "I could _feel_ it Jaune. I don't know how it works, or what it does exactly- but the moment you focused on me..."

She looked down at her hands. They were still shaking- as if she had drank way too much tea. She felt like running for an hour.

But she took another deep breath, and finished simply, "I could feel it."

He looked thoughtful. "So all this time..."

"All this time," said Pyrrha, "You couldn't have possibly won your duels. Because the stronger you got..."

"The more power you would lend your opponent," finished Blake. And what a ton of power it's become, she thought.

Both girls looked at him, waiting for his reaction.

"Shit," he muttered, a tone filled with frustration and realization. "Shit! All this time- you mean I could never have beaten anyone? Oh god, Pyrrha- think of all the team fights I must have cost us-"

"Hold on," comforted Pyrrha, "We don't know how your semblance works. For all we know, you made everyone on our team stronger. You may have won us countless bouts, Jaune."

It didn't seem to work. "Or I might _not_ have. I clearly have no control over this- and even if my minds all over the place, the best you can say is that I was neutral, making everybody stronger. But most likely I was empowering everyone we fought against!"

"Jaune, _it doesn't matter_ ," reassured Pyrrha. "All that's in the past. It's not worth worrying about, Jaune. Look to the future- once you learn to control your semblance, you'll finally discover how strong you truly are."

"If I can control it," he mumbled.

"Hey," snapped Pyrrha, giving some tough love with a smile. "We'll figure out how to control it. We can handle this. When have I ever led you wrong?"

He met her eyes, and after a second, finally smiled. "Never. No... you're right. I was being stupid. It's not worth worrying about. It's not like any of us could have known, right? I do still feel a little bad, though..."

Shit, thought Blake. Shit. It'll feel like a lie if I don't say it now. "Actually..."

Pyrrha and Jaune both looked at her. She hesitated- she wasn't sure how he would react to this.

"What, Blake?" he asked.

"Ozpin and Goodwitch... they... they knew."

"What?!" asked Pyrrha in disbelief.

"They... what?" he asked, his face again unreadable.

"I didn't mention... I hadn't mentioned yet, this part, I just didn't know if it was..." They both looked shocked- Pyrrha looked a little betrayed. Stop making excuses, Blake told herself. " ...I went to Goodwitch's office after... yesterday. I wanted to ask her... about what happened. I overheard them talking about your semblance there, and how it was hindering you, and that they had to keep it a secret for now- they never said what kind it was, but that's what got me to find this book."

"Why didn't you tell me that?" asked Pyrrha, her voice hurt.

Blake rubbed her eyes with the palms of her hands. This is why she never got involved in stuff like this. She always ended up hurting someone's feelings. "I didn't think it was important, okay? And it's not really, it's probably just another one of the teacher's stupid games-"

"Stupid _games_?" asked a shocked Pyrrha, who, unlike Blake, had never questioned authority in her life.

Blake was about to snap back at Pyrrha when Jaune spoke.

"They _knew_?" asked Jaune to no one in particular. His voice was filled with an uncharacteristic amount of venom. "They knew, and they had me duel- sending me to lose, year after year, and they did nothing? They let me go into the ring with my team, knowing...?"

"Jaune..." said Pyrrha softly.

"No," he said firmly. "Stop." He took a breath before continuing. "I just need... I just need to think for a while. Just... this was a lot to take in, I just need..."

He didn't bother finishing. Turning away from them both, he headed off. Blake had no doubt he was going to his spot on the cliff.

There was a tense moment between Pyrrha and Blake as they watched him walk away.

"Why didn't you tell me?" asked Pyrrha, her voice cold.

Blake was already getting a headache from this conversation. "I told you, it didn't seem important. And what would you have done differently?"

"He didn't need to know that. He certainly didn't need to hear it right _now_."

Blake looked at her in disbelief. "What are you saying, we should have- what, hid it from him?"

"It certainly seems like a better option than what you chose to do."

"He's not a child, Pyrrha. You can't protect him from everything. He had every right to know, and you _know_ it."

"He's running away from us when he needs us the most!"

"His life changed pretty drastically in the last twenty minutes, Pyrrha- he just wants some space to think about it!"

There was a moment of heated eye contact between the two of them, before Pyrrha blinked and looked away. "No, I'm... I'm sorry, Blake. You've been so helpful, I shouldn't have..."

Blake sighed, rubbing her temples. "Don't worry about it. It was bad timing, I know... but I didn't want to hold anything back from him."

"You should... talk to him. Make sure he's okay."

"Me?" asked Blake, surprised again.

Pyrrha gave a sad smile. "I don't know what you two talked about yesterday, but... clearly he's opening up to you. I'm his partner, and I'll always be there for him, but I think what he'll need now is someone to talk to, and... he seems to like talking to you."

Blake blinked. What that jealousy in her voice?

"Besides," added Pyrrha, "He may have questions about what you heard from Ozpin and Goodwitch. You should be there to answer them."

"Are you sure?"

Pyrrha nodded. "I want to go to the Library anyway- I want to see if I can dig up any other information on his semblance. The book mentioned historical examples- I want to find out what it means."

Blake took one more deep breath- despite his distance from her, she could still feel his power lingering in her chest- and nodded. Blake may not have meant to, but she hurt him- so she would be the one to make it right.

* * *

"Jaune?" Blake called out. She approached his oak tree, still unable to see him.

"... yeah?" came the voice, in a tone that really meant "Please leave me alone."

She walked around the tree to see sitting in his same spot.

"You don't have to say anything if you don't want to," she said, finding her root. "But if you need me... I'm here."

They sat for a while in silence. Every now and then, he would throw a pebble gently off the cliff, but she just sat, content to wait for him to say something.

Blake wasn't sure how much time had passed when he finally spoke.

"This sucks," he said simply.

She couldn't help it- it was such a simple, pure expression of exasperation she laughed- immediately covering her mouth and choking it down when his eyes shot over to her.

"Sorry. Sorry, that was... sorry," she sputtered, regaining her composure.

He laughed and rubbed the back of his head. "No, it... that's the only way I can think to explain it, you know? This just... sucks."

She nodded. He was certainly right about that.

"I guess I should be thinking about the future, like Pyrrha said- that this my chance to find out what I can really do- what I'm really capable of. But I can't help but think of these three years, of the countless fights and duels we've been in- and wonder how many times I could just never win. How hard I tried, and how each time it was actually and impossibility. It wouldn't be so bad if it was just the duels, I guess, but I can't imagine how many teamfights-"

"Jaune, we have no idea how your semblance works, you can't assume-"

"I can, Blake," he said simply. "Maybe not every time, but there must have been times I hindered my team."

He stood up suddenly. "But I could get past all that, if it was unavoidable. But Ozpin and Goodwitch knew, and they..." His hand clenched his current pebble in a tight fist at his side as he spoke through his teeth. "They knew and they never said anything, they..."

Blake got up and stood next to him. "Jaune..."

"I always sort of felt like a loser, or a joke, compared to the rest of my team, but this... this just makes it so real. How could they set me up to fail like this? Why would they..."

"Jaune, we don't know the whole story," comforted Blake. "There may be some good reason they kept it from you..."

He shook his head. "You don't know what it's like, Blake. To feel that way. How could you? You've always been one of the most gifted, strongest, most beautiful and talented girls at the school."

Wait, what was that third one?

"You couldn't possibly know what it's like to be the one dragging everybody behind, the one who didn't belong. It's always felt like that, but I worked so hard and pushed myself to get to all of your levels, and I..."

He suddenly threw the pebble- much harder this time...

And suddenly Blake could feel it again.

The electrical feeling, the new pool of Aura.

Fury was growing in his voice. "Knowing that all that time, all that pushing, and it was always a pipe dream- to know I've always been a joke, and they knew it, Blake... they _knew_ it..."

It was building in intensity. Her muscles were twitching again, itching to be used. Her senses were becoming heightened, and she was somehow aware of everything. It felt so good and so dangerous at the same time.

She could see his fists clench even tighter as he talked. She could see every vein, every pore... "They knew and they let me fail over and over again. Do you know how much that hurts? Knowing I never had a chance? Knowing I never..."

It continued to build. Her heartbeat was going insane- she started breathing heavily. She wasn't sure she could control this anymore. "Jaune..." she breathed, finding it hard to speak.

He didn't seem to hear her. "... never had a chance. And it's not like we haven't faced people who've wanted to kill us before, Blake! People with aura, people I probably helped- what if someone had gotten hurt because of me, Blake? What if someone had died?!"

Her senses were exploding- she thought she was hearing her own heartbeat in her ears, when she realized with a start that it was _his_ heartbeat she was hearing. Her body was begging for her to move, to use this energy, or crumble beneath it. It was getting harder to breath- was she hyperventilating...? She saw strange color around her vision. "Jaune...!" She forced herself to say, but despite her efforts, her voice croaked out and was barely more than a whisper...

"What?!" he asked, finally turning to look at her. All the fury that had been on his face suddenly disappeared, replaced with complete horror. "Blake!"

Blake wasn't sure what happened next, but found herself on the ground, her head being cradled by Jaune's hand. "Blake?! Blake!" she heard him say.

She groaned. "I'm... I'm fine..."

"Oh, thank god!" he said, and pulled her into a tight hug.

This was Blake's second hug of the last twenty four hours. And despite everything, the hug was so genuine- so clearly from someone who cared very deeply about her well being, almost as if he was clinging to a life raft- she couldn't help but enjoy it. She would never admit it, but she liked that about Jaune- how important his friends were to him. How much he would do for them.

He broke the hug, and looked down into her eyes. "I thought I had... I had no idea I could do something like that... like this..."

"Yeah, me neither," she said weakly. "It's fine, Jaune. I'm fine, That was just a little... much."

"How does it feel?"

"Weird. Intense. I can still feel it, but it's going away quickly. I'm just having trouble... having some trouble seeing..." she held a hand up in front of her face. It was blurry, but her vision was returning quickly.

He looked at her in disbelief. "That wasn't what I was talking about, Blake... You mean... you mean you seriously can't feel that?"

"Feel what?" she asked.

"Blake," he said, his voice serious. "Your eyes are leaking pure aura."

* * *

Blake sat in her bed, where Jaune had dropped her off a few hours before. He had stayed with her until her vision completely returned, and the aura stopped flowing from her eyes.

Pure light, he had called it. It looked like pure light flowing and sparkling from her eyes. Blake suspected this was what happened when a person's Aura reserves were well beyond what they could hold- she wanted to think more about it, but... another thought kept distracting her.

He only left after she insisted- maybe forty or so times- that she was fine. In fact, she made Jaune promise never to tell anyone she had fainted. Ever. But she had her scroll near her bed, and promised Jaune she would call her teammates if anything felt off.

And as soon as he was confident she was fine, he left. With a cold, determined look on his face.

She wondered where he had gone, but the day had already been too exhausting, and she was happy just to have some time to herself.

She pulled open her book, starting to read and relax, but found she couldn't concentrate. Because that same thought kept distracting her. It wasn't the intense moments of the day that kept creeping in her mind- with a blush, she faced the unfortunate realization that she couldn't stop thinking about Jaune's hug.

There was nothing wrong with enjoying a hug, she begrudgingly admitted to herself. It was just a hug between friends. It was nice to be there for a friend who had been through a lot.

But it lingered on her mind- the feeling of his body on hers, the way he held on to her, like he was afraid to lose her- and she couldn't quite figure out why. They hardly knew each other. Would Jaune have reacted the same way if, say, Ren had been in her place?

She suspected he would. He wore his emotions on his sleeve, after all. So, logically, this hug between friends... it wasn't worth thinking about, right?

Right?

Maybe it was how intense his powers made everything feel. In the tight embrace, she could feel every muscle in his arms, hear every heartbeat. When he broke and looked down at her in relief, she could sense how genuine it was.

So even though she suspected he would react the same way if any of their friends was in her shoes, she couldn't help it, and felt herself blushing again. How many times have I blushed lately, she thought, annoyed at herself.

Her train of thought was suddenly interrupted when Pyrrha opened the door. "What happened?" she demanded.

Blake barely had time to register what was going on. "...what...?"

"What happened, when you met? When you talked?" she looked panicked.

Jaune must have told Pyrrha that he lost control of his semblance, Blake realized. "Nothing, Pyrrha, it was nothing- I'm fine." She sat up from the bed. "It just got a little out of..." she finally looked into Pyrrha's eyes and realized from the way she held herself that there was something else wrong. "Wait- why? What happened?"

Pyrrha walked over to her bed and handed Blake a note. It was short, and simple.

Need to get this under control. Don't follow- too dangerous to be around now.

-Jaune

"He took camping supplies from our room, Blake. He's gone."

* * *

 _Author's notes:_

 _First line of the next chapter:_ "That f**king **idiot** ," moaned Blake.

 _Just kidding. Maybe._

 _As a warning- I'm already starting to write out parts of chapter three and four- and I'm worried some of the themes I'm going to touch on will take us above a T rating into more of an M rating. I'm thinking about making a switch soon to be safe. I apologize if this rating cuts out younger people who've started this story, but I want to be as safe as I can with the ratings._

 ** _Please be prepared for a rating bump into_** _ **M**!_

 _That's all. Reviews are loved, no matter what they say!_

 _-James Locklear_


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3: Apparel

* * *

"He's gone, Blake," said Pyrrha, her voice quivering. "He took his armor, weapons, a tent and some supplies from our room and just... left." Her eyes were questioning. "What happened, Blake? Why would he do this?"

"I assume he's not answering his scroll?"

"It's not even ringing!"

Blake signed. When she found Jaune, she was going to strangle him. "He... lost control, a bit. He... over-enhanced me, or something, and it was too much for me. He's making a bigger deal out of it than it needs to be. I don't think I was in any danger."

"What do you mean? What happened?"

"It's not important," said Blake. She got off the bed, and began to pack her own supplies- weapons and basic survival gear. "What is important is that I'm going to find him, and get him back."

Pyrrha nodded. "I'll come with you."

Blake shook her head. "No. I'll be able to travel- and track- much faster on my own." Pyrrha opened her mouth, and Blake knew she was about to give a thousand reasons she should go. "Pyrrha, listen. He's only been gone a few hours. I can move much faster than Jaune can- I'll catch him and bring him back here as fast as I can, and you can give him an earful about running from his problems." Blake smiled. "Or you can ask the rest of my team to do it- it's a lesson they've had to teach me a few times now."

"I can't just sit here, Blake. Maybe we can split up, I can cover the ground you can't-"

"Pyrrha," said Blake gently, "I know you want to help. I get that- your partner ran into danger, and you want to run in after him. And I certainly won't stop you, if you're that determined. But it'll get dark soon- it'll be hard for someone without my…" she hesitated, still mildly uncomfortable bringing up her Faunus heritage is casual conversation, "...senses- to even see a few feet in front of them. You wouldn't be able to find him- and worse, you could put yourself in danger, too."

"I hardly care about that, Blake!"

"Yeah, well I do!" snapped Blake. They both paused before Blake bit her lip and continued. "Pyrrha, you're one one of the strongest huntresses in this history of this school. But strength isn't what's needed, now- speed is. And you know I'm a better tracker, too. Better than anyone." Blake looked seriously in Pyrrha's eyes. "You need to trust me on this one."

Pyrrha hesitated, then sighed. "All right, I trust you." She shook her head. "What on earth was he thinking, running off into Grimm infested forest?"

"It's the same old Jaune- he's just thinking about us way before he thinks about himself." She gave a small smile, still mostly distracted with her packing, and said, "He thinks with his heart before his head."

Pyrrha blinked at Blake. "You're right. That's... very apt, Blake. You've certainly gotten to know him well in this short time..."

Was that jealousy? Again? Anyone could see that about Jaune.

Blake shook it off. She didn't have time to worry about it. Every second counted. Having gathered everything she felt she needed for the short trip, she headed for the door.

"He took flares with him," added Pyrrha. "If something goes wrong- tell him I'll be looking for them at midnight and noon- he'll know what I mean. And Blake?"

She turned to look at the redhead.

"Bring him back safe, okay?"

"I will," said Blake. "I promise."

* * *

Finding Jaune's footprints out of the school was easy enough- very few people traveled into these woods by foot, which meant there were only a few sets of footprints to choose from. From those, she recognized the shape of his sneakers- and based on their spacing, he was traveling at a slow jog. Good, she thought.

Blake was a natural tracker, she had found over the last few years. It came to her easily- once her powerful senses picked up all the information, it was just a matter of piecing together all the clues.

Based on what Pyrrha said, he was carrying what he needed to stay in the woods long term- which meant that he carried a significant amount of supplies. Blake brought nothing but her weapons and some very basic necessities, which meant she would have a lot less weighing her down. She was confident that meant she could catch him fairly quickly.

She began to follow his footsteps, setting a fairly grueling pace. If possible, she wanted to be able to get him back before sundown. She let her thoughts wander as she ran, all the while staying focused on the path in front of her. Thinking of Jaune, and what had happened under his oak tree earlier that day. The power that had overwhelmed her- the look of betrayal on his face that quickly turned to overwhelming concern when he saw what he had done to her. What this newfound power had done.

She had no idea what she'd tell him when she actually caught up- what she'd have to say to get him to turn around- but she would worry about that later. For now, she would just concentrate on finding him, and making completely sure he was safe.

Jaune's defense was legendary- and that comforted her. There were very few kinds of Grimm that stayed this close to the school that he couldn't handle. Still, there was a reason no one ever traveled out here alone- you never knew what could happen. What kinds of powerful Grimm could show up. And everyone was prone to silly mistakes.

Especially, she thought with a grimace, Jaune. She would trust him with her life- but he did have a tendency to, say, trip over his shoelaces every now and then.

She shook her head as she ran. What was he thinking? Was he really so quick to put himself in danger rather than risk causing anyone harm? The aura flowing from her eyes, Blake had to admit, was an odd sensation- and certainly his abilities seemed overwhelming when they were focused solely on her- but running into danger rather than facing the possibility of hurting someone just seemed foolish.

And yet so very Jaune, she thought, this time a smile creeping onto her face. He may be brash, but there's no doubt there was something admirable about his selflessness.

She continued to run as fast as she could manage for long distances- which was a rather fast pace- when she suddenly realized something.

She came to a halt in shock, and looked back and forth along his tracks to make sure. This was… impossible.

His pace had picked up significantly. Not like a sudden burst of speed, nor a bit of adrenaline on his run. She hadn't noticed because the change had been so gradual, but looking down it was clear- each step he had made in the dirt was much further apart than it had been in the beginning.

He'd have to be going… almost as fast as she had been traveling to catch up to him. She cursed- the pace should have been nearly impossible for the armored, over-supplied Jaune. She'd tracked hundreds of people before- and nobody ever picked up pace like this. How was she supposed to catch him like this?

It took one more glance back and forth at the school and the wilds before it clicked.

Jaune hadn't been alone ever in these last three years- he had always had at least his team at his side, even if they were going alone on a mission. But for a vast majority of the time, he had been surrounded by hundreds upon hundreds of people.

And he had been lending power- just a little bit- to each and every one of them.

Now, far enough away from the school and completely isolated from anyone to bestow his ability upon, he suddenly was able to use all that power himself.

Blake cursed again, pulling out her scroll. She barely had any connection to the city from here. But if he was really traveling further at this pace- she wasn't sure she'd get him back anytime soon.

She sent Pyrrha a message. "He's traveling faster than I thought. May not be back until morning. Have to go outside of contact area. Will get him back safe soon."

She closed the scroll, took one deep breath, and changed her pace from grueling to nearly her limit. She'd get him home, safe and sound, and then she'd enjoy watching Pyrrha kill him.

There were other factors now. She brought no overnight supplies- but there's no way she would turn back at this point. Night was coming- and it was starting to get much colder. So she only had one option: get to him and bring him home safe.

But first, she had to find him.

* * *

The sun was starting to set, when Blake noticed something else: What was happening with his footsteps?

The steady, endless pace implied by the marks in the dirt and grass suddenly was becoming more chaotic. The steps seemed to show him slowing down, and just then just as quickly, speeding up. The track, which had been almost perfectly straight for his trek, suddenly began veering left and right. She continued to follow the trail, but one thing was clear to her: something was very wrong.

And then she felt her stomach drop as saw something worse.

His tracks meeting others- many others.

Unmistakably Grimm.

She felt fear building in the pit of her stomach. Suddenly the exhaustion from the day's long travel was erased, replaced with nothing but the sheer determination to catch up with him.

His steps veered into thick brush, and the Grimm's tracks followed him. Why wasn't he fighting? What was going on?

She followed the tracks. "Jaune?!" She called out. She didn't care if every Grimm within a mile heard her- she needed to find him _now._ "Jaune! Jaune, where are you?"

No response. Nothing. She kept running, kept pushing herself after these foot and claw prints. "Jaune!" She called out, her voice becoming more panicked. She pushed herself through brush and tree until, finally, she saw him.

Surrounded by circling Beowolves, Jaune sat leaned against a tree, sword in one hand pointed out towards the circling horde- the only thing keeping the Grimm away. The rest of his supplies- including his shield- was strewn about the field surrounding the tree. The marks on the ground indicated a losing battle for Jaune.

The group of Beowolves, despite being pretty large, should have been no problem for him- what the hell was going on?

Despite her yelling, the Grimm hadn't noticed her. She decided not to press her luck, and drew Gambol Shroud without another noise.

By the time the Grimm realized what was happening, it was too late. She didn't waste a single second- every blow she struck was for the kill, and she used every bit of momentum to get to her next target. Flashing across the battleground, the mindless Grimm could hardly figure out where she was, let alone retaliate.

It was easy clean up work for a huntress of her caliber- as it should have been for a hunter of Jaune's.

After the last blow was struck, and each of the Beowolves had dissolved into nothingness- she sheathed Gambol Shroud and finally had her chance to approach Jaune.

He still sat, back to the tree, and sword still in hand, pointed out at the horde that no longer existed. He looked fairly uninjured- which relieved her. She was worried the reason he didn't fight back was because he got hurt somehow. But why was his sword still drawn? He didn't seem to be reacting to her arrival at all.

Only when she had gotten closer did she see his eyes were squeezed tightly shut. What the hell was going on?

"Jaune?" she questioned as she approached him.

"Blake?" he asked, his voice a mixture of shock at hearing her, and relief. He lowered his sword, letting it rest on the grass. "Blake, is that you?"

"Of course it's me," said Blake, her tone frustrated and confused. "Jaune, what the hell are you-?"

And then he opened his eyes, silencing her mid sentence.

Like white fire, his aura poured out of his eyes, lighting the area all around him. It was not the flow he had described happening to her- his aura was violently and aggressively leaving him. She couldn't see his pupils at all.

"B-Blake," he stuttered through a smile that attempted to cover up his terror, "I… I can't see anything at all, I… I couldn't see the Grimm, I can't..."

Her eyes wide, she realized Jaune was going through the same thing she had gone through under his oak tree, though probably many times worse. The exact same power that allowed him to travel so fast away from the school was now overwhelming him, just as it had overwhelmed her- the huge aura reserves which he had lent to everyone at the school was suddenly building up inside of him, and he was nowhere near ready to handle it… and it was completely blinding him.

He looked terrified- and she couldn't blame him. Blind, alone, and surrounded by Grimm was about every hunter's nightmare.

She approached and knelt down in front of him, her voice switching from the accusatory tone she had been using to a comforting one. "It's okay, Jaune, I'm here. I took care of them- it's just us here." She looked him over, checking for any injuries that may not have been obvious from far away. "Are you hurt, at all?"

He shook his head. "No, nothing serious- I mean they landed a couple blows on me, but nothing feels wrong." He laughed weakly, though he was having trouble breathing. "I mean besides the blindness, and… this feeling of…" He trailed off, unsure of how to describe it.

But Blake knew. "Overwhelming energy? Like your heart is going to explode?"

"Yeah, that's… how did you-?" He cut himself off when he realized. "This is what was happening to you… under the tree?"

"It's the same thing, Jaune. Your semblance is overwhelming you, just like it overwhelmed me." She finished looking him over, confident he wasn't seriously injured from the fight, and looked around at the field they had ended up in. She was worried- the noise from her yelling and the battle might drag more Grimm to their area. "We need to get out of here, Jaune. We need to get far away from here, fast. Can you travel?"

"I can… I can try."

She began to gather the things that were strewn about the field- his tent, his supplies, and his shield- keeping an eye on him all the while. It only took a few seconds of watching him trying to find the sword he had dropped- only a few feet away from him- to realize there was no way he could get out of here on his own.

Could she carry him, she wondered? Maybe normally, if she pushed herself. But after the journey today, she wasn't sure she would be able to carry his shield for more than a few minutes, let alone Jaune himself. Could she guide him by hand through the forest? Would that be too slow? Would they just end up being easy targets for the Grimm?

Her sensitive ears picked up the growling sounds of faroff Grimm- but coming closer.

She began to pick up his things faster now, realizing how little time they had. She almost cursed- if he wasn't blind, they would have more than enough time to escape...!

Wait, she realized. Of course!

She grabbed the last of his things, and rushed over to him. He was still sitting against the tree, so she knelt down right next to him, looking into his face. "Jaune," she said seriously. "Listen to me. Same as this morning- when you watched me run. I need you to focus on me."

He looked lost. "Blake, what…?"

Her ears were picking up more Grimm. More than she might be able to handle on her own. "Listen, Jaune," she said, carefully hiding the panic, "You've been lending out all your aura and strength to everyone at the school- and now that you've finally been alone, the power has nowhere to go. That's why it's building up inside you- that's why it's overwhelming you." Despite her fear, she couldn't help but be proud of the clear practicality of her plan. "So we give it somewhere to go- you give some to me, just like earlier, and we carry it together."

His blind eyes found hers, somehow. "Like under my tree?" His tone was unreadable.

"Yes, exactly- just like under the tree."

"No."

She was completely caught off guard by his response. It made no sense! "No? What do you mean, no?"

"I mean, no, Blake," he said, his voice final. "I'll follow your voice- just guide me out of here."

"We don't have time for that, Jaune! More Grimm are coming. We need to get out of here _now_ , and there's no way we can outrun them if you can't even see!"

"I'll make do," he said, his voice cold and determined. "And if it's that bad of a horde, you can leave m-"

"You better think about what you're about to say," she snapped through her teeth, her voice angry. "I hope you weren't about to say that you'd want me to- after spending all day tracking your stupid ass down- leave you behind at the first sign of danger."

He turned his head away from her. "I didn't ask for you to come after me."

He was making her blood boil. "What did you think was going to happen, you _moron?_ Did you honestly think that we'd see the letter, know you were going off into Grimm territory, and _not_ go after you?"

"I thought you'd both trust me…!"

"It has nothing to do with trusting _you_ \- there's a reason nobody travels out here alone, Jaune- nobody can predict what'll happen out here!"

"You came out here by yourself!"

"Only because I thought I was going to catch you _hours_ ago… what were you _thinking_..." She could hear the clawing and growling getting closer, and it sounded like way more than even the two of them at full strength could handle. "We need to go, Jaune... you need to focus on me, you need to give me some of this so you can handle-"

"I won't, Blake," he said, his voice determined. "Don't ask me to."

Her fists were clenched in rage. "Why not?!"

"Because I almost killed you, Blake!" he said in an intense whisper, anger showing on his face. There was a pause- and the anger drained from both of them.

That caught her off guard. "...What? When… when I fainted? Jaune, it was nothing, you don't have to worry-"

"You didn't faint, Blake. You didn't just faint. I held you in my arms, and it was like you were dead- your heartbeat started going so fast, and then it didn't seem like it was beating at all. You weren't breathing, Blake- your eyes were wide open- I thought... I thought I had _killed_ you Blake… When you finally awoke, I could hardly believe my eyes…" He voice was pleading. "Please, don't ask me to do that to you again..."

Had it really been that bad? "Jaune, I just… wasn't ready. It caught me off guard, and you were so angry... and I just felt it wash over me, taking over me..."

"I won't do it to you again."

"Jaune, I promise you I can handle it this time."

"How can you possibly know that?"

Her hearing was picking up even more- griffons, and was that a dragon?- but she forced herself to calm down. "Because it doesn't matter, Jaune. You've got two options. You can either listen to me die fighting them off you, or you can lend me some of this power and we can both make it out together." She was surprised at how easily she spoke of the idea of dying for Jaune. But there was no doubt in her mind she'd do it. After all- he ran headfirst into danger rather than risk hurting her again.

She took her hand, and gently cupped his cheek, turning his head so they were facing each other. Through the white fire, she could see barely see his eyes- confused and scared, but determined. "Do you trust me, Jaune?" she asked, forcing a calm voice. He didn't answer. "Jaune?" she asked, her voice soft, surprised the answer didn't come right away.

"Of course," he said, relenting, but sincere.

"Then trust me with this, okay?"

He took another beat… before finally nodding and taking a deep breath.

And the sensation was back. Overwhelming her. Improving her senses, making her muscles twitch. But the hot energy she felt under his tree- the energy twisted by his anger and frustration, the energy that seemed to lash out from him- was gone. It was no longer wild and out of her control- it was more like the energy she had received during her run, the first time they had tried it.

This power was made for her, she realized. It wasn't randomly generated by his emotions, it was created specifically with her in mind.

And it felt good.

This new sensation was building, but she never took her eyes off of Jaune's- the white flames which had enveloped his eyes were slowly dying. "That's it, Jaune," she said, "It's working- I feel great, don't worry about me- keep going-" She tried her best to ignore the horde of Grimm which had to be close now. She guessed they were within viewing distance, but she didn't take her eyes off of his. "Keep going- just tell me when you can see me, Jaune.."

She couldn't help but grimace a bit- despite the fact that this new energy seemed designed for her, it was becoming a lot for her to handle. She was doing everything from letting the pain creep into her voice, so Jaune wouldn't hesitate. "It feels fine- keep going, Jaune…"

And suddenly she could see blue eyes instead of the pure white that had blinded him.

"Blake, I can-!"

Before he even had time to finish his sentence, she threw supplies into his hands and yelled, "Follow me _now_!"

Only a few dozen feet away, the horde of powerful Grimm could only watch as their prey vanished into blurs.

* * *

Blake and Jaune ran through the forest at a blinding speed. Though Blake took the lead, she constantly checked back to make sure Jaune was keeping up with her- and to her surprise, he had no trouble at all.

They ran through trees, and fields, and over streams, pushing themselves away from the horde that had almost caught them. Blake finally came to a halt, out of breath, when her improvised path led them to the edge of a lake.

Both of them, took a moment to look at each other, out of breath, before looking behind them. Both wondering if the horde had managed to follow them. After waiting in silence for a few minutes, no Grimm appeared.

Jaune finally looked back at Blake. "I think… we lost them," he said, taking gulps of air between every other word.

Blake simply fell back into the dirt, letting her aching body rest, as she tried to catch her breath as well.

Jaune was looking around. "Where… where are we?"

"I have… no idea." Blake panted. She knew it was a concern, but honestly, she was just glad they were alive. "But we'll have to camp for the night. I don't think I can possibly make it back."

"Yeah," agreed Jaune. "Me neither." He began to unpack what supplies he brought, carefully putting it on the ground. "Hey, Blake?" he asked, his voice hesitant.

She, still on her back in the dirt, idly checked her own pulse with two fingers. "Mm?"

"Thank you."

She turned her head to look at him quizzically from the ground.

"You saved my life, Blake. I would have been dead if you hadn't come. And when I said, earlier- that I didn't ask you to come find me- I should have known you'd come. I should have known I was putting you in danger the moment I'd left into the woods."

She shook at her head, looking back up into the night sky. "You'd have done the same, Jaune. You'd dive into danger for any of us." She smiled. "You'd have done the same for Cardin, probably," she added, a touch of humor in her voice.

He gave a tired but genuine laugh. "Well, I don't know about that…"

But she knew. He would have. "Besides, isn't that the reason you came out here? So you wouldn't even risk hurting me again?"

As soon as the words left her mouth, she felt heat in her cheeks. It's not as though what she said was incorrect- it just sounded so personal. He would have reacted this way if he had hurt any of their friends.

Probably.

Jaune, of course, didn't seem to notice. "I just didn't like the feeling I could put someone at risk… without even touching them. Without even meaning to. The way you looked after you fell..." He shook his head, trying to push away the thoughts. "I wanted to get away and get control before I put anyone else at risk. But I put you at risk anyway." He gave her a smile. "Seriously, Blake. Thank you."

She gave him a simple nod, then looked back into the night sky. The heat she built up from her run was quickly slipping away, given the cold, fall air, so with one last breath, she forced herself up to help him set up camp.

They now faced a new problem. His supplies were minimal, to say the least. His tent was hardly a tent- it was more of a tarp held up by short poles- clearly meant to help against rain or snow, but would do little to help with heat.

The main problem was that Jaune only brought one sleeping bag.

Blake cursed her own stupidity. If she only hadn't been so confident when she left, so certain she would have him back in a matter of hours, she might have brought more supplies of her own. She might have brought a sleeping bag- or even a coat. Until they knew the horde of Grimm was gone for good, it was too risky to start a fire. And the night was only getting colder.

After they had set everything up, Jaune sat on the dirt. He seemed like he was completely out of energy. "We should probably take turns keeping watch."

She nodded. It made sense.

"I'll take the first watch," he said with certainty.

"Are you sure?" she said, eyeing him over. He seemed like he could barely lift his arms.

He nodded. "You need to get in that sleeping bag."

She shot him a questioning look.

He laughed. "Blake, uh- you know you're shivering right now, don't you?"

Damn, she thought. She was hoping she was doing a good job of hiding it.

"I'm fine, Jaune."

"Yeah, I know. But we both got sweaty on that run, and it's going to be freezing out here soon. Difference is, I brought a change of clothes… and a coat... and you have nothing. You should warm up in the sleeping bag first. Once you warm up, we can trade, and you can take my coat."

She nodded, too tired to argue. Plus, he was right- she was freezing and the sleeping bag looked inviting.

The front of the tiny tent was completely open, allowing her to see out onto the lake. Jaune settled close to the opening, beginning his watch. He faced away from her, looking over the lake.

She slipped into the sleeping bag- and despite how good it felt- she almost felt too numb, too exhausted to sleep. There were so many thoughts buzzing about her head, and she couldn't settle. Thoughts about Jaune's power, and the day they had, and what Pyrrha was thinking now. There was a lot to worry about, and little she could do about it now.

Though she tossed and turned a few times, despite her complete exhaustion, she couldn't fall asleep.

Her sensitive ears twitched in her bow as she heard something unfamiliar. Adrenaline shot through her- was something close? More Grimm?

But it only took a few more seconds of listening to realize what it was. Jaune's teeth were clattering.

The night had gotten even colder- colder than it should have, for this time of year. And though the sleeping bag Jaune had brought was the highest quality available to students, the jacket he wore was not. Then again, he probably didn't expect someone to commandeer his sleeping bag half the night, she thought. The jacket was probably plenty warm during the day. She was kicking herself again- if she hadn't been so stupid, and had brought her own, they could at least do their watches from the warmth of a sleeping bag...

And like that, the solution became obvious to her. And, much to her dismay, she could feel herself blush again. But it was the right thing to do, right? As a professional hunter, these situations came up- and you did what you had to, to survive.

The other side of her- the more reserved, less professional side- couldn't believe she was about to suggest this.

"Jaune?"

She saw his head turn, his eyes surprised she was still awake.

"Are you cold?" she asked, knowing the answer.

"W- no! No, Blake, I'm totally fine. You don't have to worry about me- it's actually quite a nice night, really…" Of course, the more he talked, the more obvious it was how much he was shivering.

She could feel the words on the tip of her tongue- but couldn't bring herself to say it.

"It's fine, Blake- get some rest. It's a little chilly, sure, but it just helps keep me awake!" he said, giving her a smile.

She groaned. Why did he have to be so damn selfless? It made the choice all the more obvious.

"Jaune?" she said again.

"Yeah?"

"Get in the sleeping bag."

He shook his head aggressively. "Blake, I'm fine, but I'm worried about you out here right now- you'll have my coat, but it might be a little big, but I'm hoping it might get warmer later in the-"

"No, you idiot. Get in the sleeping bag _with_ me _._ "

* * *

 _Author's notes:_

 _I've added some info on update schedules and things of that nature to my profile, if you're interested._

 _Otherwise, no news. Review if you have thoughts!_

 _-James Locklear_


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4: Every Man thy Ear

* * *

There was a palpable silence between the two of them as Jaune registered what she said. The look on his face was completely blank, as if she had spoken something in a language he didn't understand. She could see the gears turning in his head, though this process was taking a lot longer than she had hoped. She understood the suggestion was out of left field- and was undoubtedly an uncomfortable one- still, she knew it was completely logical. They needed warmth. This would provide warmth.

She could almost imagine one of her professors suggesting the idea in class. 'If you're in the woods, and the temperature is dropping,' they might say, 'and it's too dangerous to light a fire- you can always huddle together for warmth.'

Besides, what was was she supposed to do- listen to him shiver in the cold all night? Watch him freeze and then take a nap? That would be pretty heartless, and despite her reputation for being a little cold, she certainly would never let a friend suffer.

Still, she couldn't help but consider as the silence continued, on the other hand- there was the fact that he was a boy, and she a girl, and they'd pretty much have to be spooning for this to work. It's not as though she didn't trust Jaune to act like a complete gentleman in the situation- it was just, invariably, an awkward one.

It was just yesterday, after all, that she had been telling people she hardly knew Jaune. She still felt that way, a bit- but certainly the day's experience made her feel closer to the blond knight.

After what seemed like minutes to Blake, Jaune finally said something. "...What?"

Blake kept her cool- not blushing, not hesitating. She spoke plainly, like she was simply suggesting a fire be built. "You should get in the sleeping bag with me. It's cold, we can keep each other warm, and we don't risk getting sick."

Jaune blinked at her. "You… want me to…?"

He was handling the idea pretty much exactly as she expected. "Get in the sleeping bag. With me."

"With…?"

"With me, yes."

He opened his mouth, seeming to have an idea, but then he quickly shut it again. Then he repeated the action, this time adding it a hand gesture, but still nothing came out. Blake really had no idea what was going on in his mind.

"You can stay awake and keep watch, still," she added, "But you don't have to do it out there, freezing. And then we can trade off, and I won't have to worry about freezing, either. It'll be best for both of us."

Despite what she thought was a rather convincing argument, he just stared at her. A tiny part of her was beginning to get insulted- after all, she just invited him to join her in a sleeping bag. She expected a little resistance at first, but then she assumed he would go along with it. What was he worried about?

"I won't tell Weiss," she added carefully, wondering if that was the cause of the hesitation. He looked surprised at her statement. "Actually, I'd prefer if we never told anyone about it," she admitted, dryly. She could imagine the endless teasing they'd both get from all of their friends.

"It's not that! I'm sure they'd understand," he added, endlessly trusting as always.

"So? What's the problem?"

He took looked at her, seriously. "Look, Blake, it's just… listen, are you sure?"

"It makes sense, doesn't it?"

He took another beat to look at her before nodding. She watched him carefully as he removed his outer armor, shoes and socks- leaving on his jeans and hoodie for the warmth they brought.

Getting a new person into an occupied sleeping bag, built for one, was a supremely awkward process- especially given the little space they had to work with. He slid in the bag behind her, and she couldn't help but yelp as she felt his absolutely freezing limbs- especially because she had finally gotten warm.

But after a minute of awkward shuffling, they finally settled- him behind her, both looking out onto the lake where the light of the moon shimmered on the rippling waves.

"Sorry, are you- is this okay?" asked Jaune softly into the top of her head, as he settled in. The closeness was strange for Blake for a myriad of different reasons- in some ways, expectedly, because she was suddenly crammed against a friend. But in others, the strangeness derived from the fact that it really didn't feel so abnormal at all.

"I'm fine," she said simply and honestly. "Are you…?"

"Yeah, I'm… comfortable."

It was awkward- there was no doubt about it. But despite how cold he was when he first slipped in, his body was slowly warming up- which made the sleeping bag all the more comfortable for her. Most of her knew this was just a logical thing to do- something to help them survive. Still, Jaune of all people was pressed against her, and she had asked him to do it.

She pushed out the irrelevant thoughts. It was the sort of thing she could worry about when they were safe, back at Beacon.

"Are still okay to take the first watch?" she asked quietly. She couldn't possibly face him without making the situation at least a hundred times more awkward, so she asked her questions without turning.

"Yeah," he said. "Yeah, I'm okay."

"Okay, great. Good night."

"Night."

She honestly tried her best this time to get to sleep, but despite her exhaustion, sleep would never come. She honestly wasn't that uncomfortable- with Jaune, the cold was no longer even a factor. Nor did she have to worry about him freezing anymore. But the thoughts of the day- among other thoughts, surrounding their new awkward situation- just wouldn't allow her to sleep. Her body wanted to toss and turn, but with Jaune so close, that was impossible.

So she stared out at the pond, watching the waves ripple and the light play off them.

She stayed like this for a while, just letting her thoughts drift.

"...Blake?" came Jaune's voice from behind her after some time, his voice barely a whisper. "Are you still awake?"

She sighed. "Yeah, I can't sleep."

He laughed softly. "I could tell."

She blinked. "How?" she asked, her voice a whisper to match his.

"Yang told me once that you snore. I figure if you weren't by this point…"

"I do not snore!" she said, her whisper gaining intensity.

"Well, I'll let you know once you fall asleep."

"I don't."

"Sure, yeah. Are you saying Yang would make something up just to mess with people?"

She opened her mouth to retaliate- yes of course she would- when she realized he was kidding. A small smile formed on her face and she let out a soft laugh. She liked that they went back to being causal quickly after the awkwardness of how close they were.

"Seriously though," she said, "I think it's just been a crazy day and I can't sleep. Do you want me to stay awake first?"

"No, it's... it's fine, I actually can't sleep either. I thought it was the cold, but… I'm okay now and I'm still not even close to tired."

There was a pause, but this time it didn't feel as awkward.

"Hey, Blake?" asked Jaune, cautious.

"Yeah?" She could sense his hesitation.

"Can I ask you something?" he asked, his tone still cautious.

"What?"

"Do you… do you always wear your bow to sleep?"

She didn't know what question she was expecting, but that certainly wasn't it. Now it was awkward again. The suddenness of the question took her off guard, and she couldn't even think of a response right away. It was, after all, not just a bow- it was a disguise.

"I'm… sorry," he started, apologetic after the strange pause, "that's not really any of my…"

"No- no, it's fine," she said. "I'm sorry, I just… didn't expect that question. That's all." She put on a positive tone. "Yeah, I always wear it. It's just that I wear it so much, you know? It's been on my head for so many years now, I hardly think about it anymore. In fact, it feels kind of weird without it on! Whenever I-"

"Blake," interrupted Jaune with a sudden, serious tone.

"Yeah?"

"Come on- is that really true?"

She was taken aback by his voice- it was very confident, and direct, and so unlike the Jaune she was used to. "Of course it's true."

"You don't have to lie to me, Blake."

"I'm not!"

He sighed. "You don't have to answer if you don't want to, Blake. But never feel like you have to lie- not to me."

There was a beat between them as Blake bit her lip. Shit, she thought. How was he reading her so well? The truth was often so complicated, it was just easier not to bring it up. She tried her best not to openly lie to her friends, but some truths were hard to talk about- even with her teammates. Sometimes a little white lie- like the fact that she liked the feeling of the bow on- was easier than telling her teammates the truth... that she still felt alien at the school because she was a Faunus.

And maybe it was because the events of the day had bonded them- or maybe because she knew Jaune would never judge her for anything- or maybe just because she was so tired she was almost crazy- she decided to open up a little to him.

"Okay, yeah," she said, dropping the positive tone. "I wear it to bed every night- but I think about it every night. I can definitely feel it. My ears are pretty sensitive."

"So it's uncomfortable to wear?"

"Not really, I just… I'm just very aware I'm wearing it." She swallowed, uncomfortable with voicing thoughts she never had before. "I guess it's not... comfortable."

"So why wear it? It's not like your teammates don't know what's under there."

"I know that."

"So why put yourself through it?"

"Because… I don't know. Because it would make me feel like a coward. It would make me feel like _more_ of a coward."

There was a pause. She could feel his confusion, despite the fact that she couldn't see him.

"A… coward? Blake, you're not a…"

"Yes," she said simply and softly. "I am."

"Blake, no one would ever say-"

"Then they'd be wrong, Jaune." She shook her head. "I'm a coward."

"How can you say that, Blake? How can-"

"Jaune, stop," she said quietly, still completely calm. "Because- other Faunus walk around campus, _not_ in hiding. They're proud of what they are... they face discrimination, and I shy away from it. I've _chosen_ to hide from it. That's what I do with everything- hide or run. That's all this bow is- a disguise. I've faced such discrimination and such bigotry in my life that I can't help but hide this part of me away, but… but that's just an excuse.

"Someday I want to be totally comfortable, I want to be able to take off this... stupid bow and show the whole world exactly who and what I am. And that it's nothing to be ashamed or afraid of- because it isn't. I believe that. I know that.

"But there's something about being so comfortable in what I am in front of my friends but not strangers that makes me feel like a coward. That once I'm home, safe, and ready to sleep, when there's no risk, that I'd take off my bow and show everyone what I am... but as soon as I step out the door I'd need to hide it all away… that makes me feel more like a coward than just keeping it on. I can't be one person behind closed doors and another outside. That make me feel… fake. And I hate that.

"Someday I hope... I want to be totally comfortable with who and what I am, and be ready to show it off to everyone. Someday I hope I'll get over this cowardice. And when that happens," she said, her voice turning venomous for the first time, "I'll burn this stupid bow myself."

There was a long pause, as she expected. She didn't need comforting- not from Jaune and not from anyone. This was her battle- something she needed to figure out on her own.

Still. It felt good to say it out loud for once.

"Blake…" Jaune started. Blake wondered what he would go with- would he argue that she had nothing to worry about, and she should take off the bow? Would he just feel pity? Either of those options would just annoy her. "I'm not going to pretending that I've ever faced anything like you have. Like that. And I know we've never been that close." He shifted uncomfortably, and the hilariousness of the statement became apparent to both of them- they, after all, couldn't possibly be closer, physically. "I mean before today." That didn't seem to clear things up. "I mean... not physically. I mean… jeez-"

She laughed. "Jaune…"

"I just- I want to be there for you, Blake. That's all I'm saying. I've never had to face anything like you have, and I know it's hard for me to relate to it, but I want to be there for you. In whatever way that means for you. I just don't want you to feel like you have to hide from _me_."

"I don't."

"I mean- you were. Like, five minutes ago. You were lying to make things easier- telling me you liked wearing that bow at night."

Some silence here. He was right, after all.

"Look," he continued. "I'm not going to pry, or… push or anything on these subjects, but I just want you to know I'll be there for you. That's all I'm trying to say. Okay?"

She nodded. "Okay." There was another moment of silence between the two of them. "Okay, now I have a question for you," said Blake.

"Shoot," said Jaune without hesitation.

"Why Weiss?"

She could feel his surprise. "Why…Weiss?"

"Why Weiss?" she repeated. This was something she'd been curious about for some time. "You still have a crush on her, right? Why? Why not someone who'll actually give you the time of day?" She actually turned her shoulders slightly, giving her enough room for her head to turn towards his. This was going to be a big question for Jaune- and she wanted to be able to look him in the eyes when she did it.

And then, looking into his confused blue eyes only a few inches away, she asked the question really on her mind.

"Why not someone like Pyrrha?"

He looked at her for a few moments… before he began to laugh. She was beginning to hate this habit of him laughing before she knew what it was he was laughing at. "What?' she asked, totally lost.

"Nothing, it's just… you just talked about your problems, and they're like… discrimination and actual important things, and I realize we're about to talk about my problems, and they're basically about how girls don't like me."

She frowned at him.

"Sorry," he apologized, "I'm not trying to avoid the question or anything. It just seems so… average in comparison. Or not worth talking about."

She turned her body away, going back to the position they started in. "You don't have to answer," she said softly and honestly. She wasn't trying to force him to open up- he didn't, and would never, do that to her.

"No, you've certainly earned some truth from me, but... that's just a tricky one, you know? I mean, 'Why Weiss', that's a question I've gotten before. But 'Why not Pyrrha' is... new."

"That surprises me," said Blake.

"Why?"

"You're just about a close as two partners can be, and your fondness for one another is obvious to anyone around you. Clearly you get along well." She smiled. "And she's a successful, beautiful huntress. Even if you've never been asked, surely… the thought must have crossed your mind." She turned back to him. "And I'm… very fond of Weiss, don't get me wrong. I see a lot about her that's great. It's just… I've never seen you two really click before. So I'm just wondering… why her?"

There was a pause as he collected his thoughts. Blake turned back, happy to just watch the rippling lake, knowing that Jaune would answer in time.

"It's kind of complicated," he said, after a breath she could feel on the back of her head. "And it has a lot to do with- well, being kind of a coward, in my own way, too." He shifted uncomfortably. "I won't give you the rundown of all the things I find admirable- or, well, attractive- about Weiss. I bet you can guess those things. You're as close- no, that's not true, you're closer to her than I am. You can see the smart, caring, driven person underneath all that... ice. That's why I first started have feelings towards her, way back when.

"So my first year I figured- what the hell, I'd go for it. Ask her out a few times." Not that he could see Blake raise her eyebrow, but he seemed to sense she did. "Okay, okay, more than a few times. But I thought… what's there to lose? I'd fake a little confidence and ask her."

"So I got shot down again… and again. And again… and again. And so many times that I just realized it was hopeless, so I stopped. Which I'm sure she was grateful for. But each of those times I just kept telling myself- I just need to show her _me_ , you know? If I could just show her the real me, if I could just get a chance to show her who I really am, then she'd find affection for me too. And sure, I may have gone about that some crazy ways, but… I always kept that thought at heart. She just needed to see me, right?

"But the more I got shot down, the more I started to think about it. What I admired about her was so obvious to me- but even if she got to know me, what would she see about me? Who would she see me as... the slacker? The idiot? The cheater? The coward?"

"Jaune, you're more than-"

"It's okay, Blake. So it just hit me one day that she wasn't shooting me down because she _couldn't_ see me for who I am… she was shooting me down because she _could._ I'm just a dork, and not even the smart kind. And she, driven, intelligent, beautiful heiress could see that, easy. So that day, when it hit me, I stopped asking.

"It was a depressing thought at first- really depressing. But instead of letting it weigh me down, I let it push me further. Okay- so I wasn't good enough for her- not _yet_. But I could be. I could push myself in my classes and get smarter. I could push myself in my training and get stronger. I could become better, and could be worthy of her.

That was years ago, now. And in a lot of ways, you're right- we've never really clicked, or had good moments, even. But that day she became sort of this- goal. The reason to push myself… man, this is going to sound pathetic..." She couldn't see him but she could tell he was blushing. "... but she became sort of this almost unreachable goal to become worthy of. This, sort of… strange pipe dream that keeps me moving forward. You asked if I still had a crush on her, and the truth is… not really. Not like I did my first year.

"But the weird, and yes, pathetic, part of it all is it's hard for me to even work up the courage to think of anyone romantically until I… until I just feel better about _me,_ you know? Like I feel like _I'm_ worthy. It stopped being as much about Weiss, and started just wanting to be in a place where I feel as awesome as you all are- you, and Pyrrha, and Weiss, and whoever. All of my friends, all of you, are all these... demigod warriors, and I just couldn't feel worthy of any of you- not as a partner, not romantically- until I got close to your level. So even though I've never won a bout- even though I'm nowhere near the top of the class- I keep pushing myself. And, yeah, Weiss became this… weird gauge for me.

"You said 'It must crossed your mind', about Pyrrha, but the honest truth is it hasn't… because of the exact reasons you mentioned. She's a successful, beautiful huntress. And I'm just… Jaune."

There was a pause as Blake soaked all this in. The matter of his poor record was clearly a more deep seated problem than she thought. "Jaune, you're not just-"

"Please, Blake," said Jaune with a genuine, but sad, laugh. "No pity, okay?"

She turned towards him, her eyes meeting his, filled with concern. "Seriously, Jaune- anyone would be lucky to have you."

He laughed again. "Blake, are you kidding? That cliched line is, like, a thing you're required to say after a speech like I just gave."

"It's true!"

"It doesn't feel that way."

"You can't possibly base your worth on Weiss's opinion of you! You couldn't have picked a worse person, really."

"Why?" He flinched. "Is her opinion of me that bad?"

"Her opinion of practically everyone is bad!"

"That's not true, Blake."

"It is. Jaune- Weiss is an idiot. I love her, but she is. The fact that she went after Neptune proves it. Guys like that- the ones that flirt with everything that move- they're a dime a dozen. Jaune, that's the kind of guy you want to be? That's the kind that's 'worthy' of her."

"I… guess, not really-"

"Of course not." Blake could feel heat in her cheeks again, uncomfortable again with complimenting him. "Jaune, anyone would rather have you. You're funny, and warm. And you're genuine- I've been with some guys, some terrible _terrible_ guys who would say anything to get what they want. Who'll use you however they want. I know… everyone knows... you'd never do anything like that. You're…" As she said the words, she realized how incredible true they were. How unique Jaune really was. "You're endlessly kind, and would rather die than see a friend get hurt…" The words simply came out- her uncomfortableness with compliments suddenly subsiding as she realized she was simply telling him the truth. "You're honest, and you're… you're… Jaune, you're the kind of guy tha-"

Wait.

The words suddenly caught in her throat as she looked into his shining blue eyes under his tousled, messy blonde hair. It was a moment that would be imprinted in her mind for a long time. It was like someone had flipped a switch in her mind.

Because it was all true, everything she said. And it was just hitting her that she had never really _realized_ it before. Why on earth would Weiss shoot him down?

It's not as though Jaune wasn't attractive. He may not have been as put together as Neptune, but with messy blond hair and striking blue eyes, there's no doubt he was good looking.

Weiss wasn't too good for Jaune, she realized with a start. Jaune was way too good for Weiss.

"... Blake? What? Why are you looking at me like that?"

"You're… just a good guy. And a good friend, which is maybe something I didn't realize these past couple years. And if you want to be there for me, and you don't want me to hide my... issues away from you, then you've got to do something for me."

"What?"

"You've got to realize the truth- that you're just as good or as... 'worthy'... as anyone I know. You've got to stop trying to be the perfect guy for a girl who doesn't see… who can't see you're already too good for her."

There was a pause while the two of them looked at each other.

"Blake, I… wow. I mean- that's gotta be the nicest..."

"I didn't say it to be nice, Jaune. That's not who I am. It's just the truth." She turned away from him, getting comfortable again.

"Well… thank you," he said simply, his voice genuine and full of emotions she couldn't place. "I mean…" he sounded like he wanted to say more, but couldn't find the words. "Thanks." he said again, finally.

She didn't say anything, looking out over the water again, letting new and strange thoughts circle around her head. Thoughts about Pyrrha, and Weiss, and the warm body pressed up against her back.

But, despite all that, she found that the exhaustion of the day finally caught up with her. And her eyelids became too heavy to fight.

"Jaune, I'm…"

"I know. I'll keep an eye out. You sleep."

She nodded and let them close, sleep quickly enveloping her.

Yang was wrong, thought Jaune, looking down at Blake with a smile. She doesn't snore.

She _purrs._

* * *

"Hey, Boss? You should… you should come look at this."

No response.

"Boss?"

From high up in the hideout, a loud, dramatic sigh echoed. "You know what, Terry? When your I.T. guy says that kind of line, there's really only two options." Roman Torchwick, criminal mastermind, began a slow decent down the stairs towards his lacky, spinning his cane all the while. "Either, one," he continued, "You've found a particularly adorable cat picture you need to show off, which, hey, I don't mind. Or, two, all of the servers are on fire again. So, tell me, Terry. Is it a particularly cute picture of a cat?"

Despite the fact that the question seemed rhetorical in nature, Roman looked at Terry as if he expected an answer.

Terry looked at the blinking red lights on his large computer monitor. "Um… no?"

"No? So this is going to be a bunch bad news then, hmm?"

"I don't… I don't know?"

"What do you mean, you don't know? How can you not know? Isn't that your job to know, isn't that why I pay you so much money?"

"It's the… the Beacon tracking stuff. The stuff we put on the Beacon computers to help us keep an eye on hunter activity- remember?"

"That ancient thing? You know, when I think of all we had to go through to get that stupid software on their computers, and we've used it… what… a grand total of two times? I could just go back in time and hit you in the face, just for having the idea."

"It was your idea!"

"In fact," continued Roman, "I might hit you in the face _now_ , Terry."

Terry flinched, spewing information, hoping it would appease his totally irritable boss. "It's- one of the keywords got set off! The word 'Bestower'!"

Roman's eyes lit up with pure glee. "Terry, I could kiss you, you beautiful genius. In fact," said Roman, suddenly grabbing Terry's face, "I think I will!" He pulled Terry in for a large, dramatic kiss on the forehead, before violently pushing him away, causing Terry to spill over his chair and fall on the floor. Roman then leaned over the desk and took over the computer. "Terry?"

"Y- yeah boss?" asked Terry from the floor.

"Now how do I tell who searched this- or where?"

"Right there, Boss." said Terry, pointing from the ground.

Roman looked over "Ahh there it is! Thank you Terry." He groaned. "Looks like someone was doing some research in the library- man, her again?! These kids are in _every operation!_ "

"Boss- what's… what's a Bestower?"

"Something very valuable and rare- my favorite kind of thing! Of course, we'll have to find it as soon as possible. And seeing as we've only got one lead, we know where to start!"

Roman began collecting supplies around the area.

"Boss? Boss, where are you going?"

"Why, isn't it obvious? I've got a date with a local celebrity!"

"Boss?"

"Don't worry your pretty head, Terry," he said, cheerful as ever, heading towards the door. "I'll be right back with the one, the only, that constant thorn in my side...!" His voice was suddenly dark. "Miss Pyrrha Nikos."

* * *

 _Author's notes:_

 _Hi, Roman! Welcome to the tale. Also Terry! No, not Perry. God knows what happened to that guy._

 _Reviews are loved! So are, you know... favorites and follows._

 _-JL_


	5. Chapter 5

Ch 5: This Above All

* * *

"Jaune," whispered Blake, softly. "Jaune, wake up."

Blake's turn at watch had gone on without a single event. A single event outside of the tent, anyway. While Jaune had been awake, it seemed like he was being careful about keeping his arms at his side, trying to keep their contact as friendly and professional as he could. But when he fell asleep, his arms simply moved to a more natural position- and in the night, one had draped across her stomach.

She knew logically, he was doing this in his sleep, but for some reason the tiny gesture made the whole thing feel much more intimate for her. She pushed those feelings out, of course- it was just Jaune was just dead asleep after an exhausting day.

And if she was being honest with herself, it felt kind of… nice.

But now the sun was cracking over the trees, and despite that small part of her begging the rest of her to stay like this for just five more minutes, the more logical part of herself wanted to get started on the journey home.

She couldn't actually see him in this position, but he certainly hadn't stirred yet. It was understandable- half a night of sleep after the day they had was nowhere near enough.

"Jaune? Jaune, are you awake?" This time he stirred, sleepily.

She almost yelped when the arm tightened around her, and pulled her in closer.

It was a completely natural reaction when someone was trying to wake you up. She'd seen her roommates do it all the time, when she needed to wake them for an early class- to simply curl up around whatever you held. Blake was confident that Jaune was still not actually awake yet- and she wondered what, in his sleep addled mind, he thought was actually holding onto. A pillow? A blanket?

Maybe Weiss, in a dream?

Maybe not, after last night's conversation. That was clearly more complicated than she thought.

"Jaune!" she said louder, throwing away any attempt to wake him up gently.

He shook awake, and she felt his confusion- the natural uncertainty that came with waking up in a strange place.

There was a quick moment where all his little moments froze completely still, as he realized just the position they were in. His arm suddenly shot away from her stomach.

"Ah! Uh, Blake, I'm sorry, was I- was I just…?"

"Making yourself a little comfortable," she finished his sentence with a teasing tone.

"Sorry, Blake, I certainly didn't mean to…"

She silently chuckled. "Jaune, it's fine. We were up against each other all night. One little squeeze is hardly crossing any boundaries." She, of course, didn't mention how intimate it felt to her. He didn't need to know that confusing piece of information.

He laughed at himself, and in relief. "Right- of course."

Getting out of the sleeping bag was as strange a process as getting in- Blake would have killed for one of the sleeping bags with a zipper going down the side at this point.

Still, eventually he slid out from behind her, and she got out after him, and they managed to get outside the small tent.

They both took a minute to stretch, finally able to move free after spending all night so contained. The air was crisp and cold- but the sun was already warming it, and it was much more comfortable than the night air had been.

Blake turned to Jaune. "You should pack up the tent- I'll start gathering the supplies you brought."

Jaune looked at her in confusion. "What?"

"We should leave soon. We'll have to move pretty slow- I don't want to attract that horde's attention on the way back."

Jaune just looked at her incredulously. "Way back?"

Blake shot Jaune the same look back. "Yeah?"

"Blake, I'm not going back."

Her eyes widened in surprise. "What? What do you mean?"

"Blake- I told you, I'm not going back until I get a handle on this."

She couldn't believe what he was saying. "You seriously still plan on staying out here?"

"Or risk killing someone the next time I lose my temper in class? Yes, obviously." He spoke about it like it was the most clear cut decision on the world.

She sighed. "Jaune, you never lose your temper."

"What would you call it, then- under the oak tree, when you couldn't breathe?"

She felt her frustration starting to build. "You told me- you told me last night, before we set up camp- you apologized for coming out here!"

"No- I'm sorry I dragged you out here, and I'm sorry I put in you danger- but I'm not going back when I know I can hurt someone."

"Jaune, don't be an idiot. We need to get back."

"No!"

"I told Pyrrha I'd have you back yesterday- she's going to be worried sick! She'll probably send a search party out, or worse, go out herself!" That caused him to pause. "And she could get hurt, Jaune. Hurt trying to find you."

"So you head back, and tell her yourself- I'm fine."

"Fine?! You're fine now, but how am I supposed to know how you'll be in the next hour? The next day? You really expect me to leave you, when I found you blind, surrounded by Grimm, seconds from being overwhelmed?"

He clenched his jaw, but didn't have a good argument. He just looked her in the eyes, frustrated. Trying to do the right thing, but now, unsure of what that was.

"Look, at the very least, we need to get back to where we can get service, and let her know you're safe," said Blake. "If you really feel like you need to stay out in the woods, fine. I can't stop you. But let's go back to where we can contact Pyrrha, at least." Her voice became softer- she reached out a hand and touched his arm. "I get it, Jaune. You don't want to risk hurting anybody. It's not in your nature. But if we stay here..."

He sighed. "Someone will risk themselves anyway. Yeah… okay. You're right. I'd never forgive myself if Pyrrha got hurt because of all this." He began to break down the tent. "But how are we going to figure out which way is home?"

"Unfortunately, the obvious way- just tracing our steps backwards- I think will be too dangerous," she said, starting to pack up the supplies he had brought. "I don't want to walk back into that horde again."

"Agreed."

"Luckily, the tower is pretty enormous. I say we head for the nearest high ground and try to find it. And I know we're at least _generally_ south-west of Beacon. So..."

"Travel north-east and find a hill? Or a tall tree?"

She nodded at him.

"Sounds like a plan."

She checked the time on her scroll. "All right- it's about 7 am. Let's move carefully until we know we're in a safer area. If we haven't found any high ground by noon, we'll..."

Wait. Noon. Wasn't she supposed to remember something about noon?

Jaune blinked at her a few times. "Blake, you… you there?"

"Jaune, Pyrrha wanted me to tell you- she said, she knew you had flares? And she'd be watching for them at noon and midnight."

He smiled. "That's good! We'll be able to communicate with her outside here- assuming it's safe enough to use the flares."

She looked quizzically at him. "Just with flares?"

He nodded. "Our team came up with a… pretty simple… signaling system, using the color of flares. I was always worried about getting split up in missions outside of the service area, so…"

"So you came up with that." She smiled at him. "Pretty smart."

"We'd be able to communicate to her that we're safe, at least. Still- I don't want to use it until we know we're in a safe area. Certainly not around here."

She nodded, and put the last piece of gear into his pack, as he finished packing up the tent.

"Ready to head back?" she asked.

"Lead the way."

* * *

The morning's walk was fairly uneventful. In the interest of staying undetected, they moved pretty quietly- not talking, and trying not to make much noise as they moved. This came incredibly naturally to Blake, of course- stealth was her thing. Jaune was just doing his best to follow along.

Jaune was happy to follow Blake's lead, whose sense of direction, he was happy to admit, was better than his.

They were now resting in a field, both drinking water from the canteen he had brought. Blake checked her scroll- still no service, but it was five to noon. She sat against a rock.

They still hadn't managed to spot the large tower of Beacon in the distance, which made Blake more worried with every passing hour. Jaune seemed to have complete confidence in Blake's lead- but she was basing this off very little information. She knew she couldn't be leading them completely the wrong way- still, the odds that she was leading them exactly towards Beacon was slim to none.

She checked her scroll once more, which prompted him to say something.

"I think we should use them."

She looked at him. "The flares?"

"Yeah."

She looked thoughtful. "It's too risky. We've definitely put some distance between us and that horde, but we still don't know how safe it is around here."

"We'll never be a hundred percent sure, Blake."

"Yeah, but we could definitely be more sure than we are now. Even assuming they haven't moved, that means we're only- what, a half day's walk from one of the largest hordes we've ever seen. It's nothing something I'd want to face with both our teams- let alone just the two of us."

"I think it's worth the risk."

"Why, just to tell her?"

He laughed. "Blake, this is Pyrrha we're talking about. I don't know how much longer she'll wait before she starts knocking down this forest, tree by tree, to find us. Maybe a day, if we're lucky? Hell, she might rally both of our teams to search these woods." He looked at her seriously. "The last thing I want is for anyone else to risk themselves for us, when we're not in any danger."

"We might be putting ourselves in danger, the moment you fire a flare."

"I know that." He took a deep breath. "But I think it's worth the risk. I'm not blind anymore- and you're not exhausted. If that horde shows up again, this time… we'll in a better position to run." They shared a look at each other before he continued. "But I'm not going to fire this thing unless we both agree."

She looked him over and thought about it. He was right, in a lot of ways- the horde would be nearly impossible to take head on, but now that he wasn't impaired and she hadn't been running all day, outrunning it shouldn't be a problem. And she didn't like the thought of anyone else getting lost in the woods for them, either.

"All right," she said, finally.

"You sure?"

She nodded slowly.

"Good. I've already got to pay you back for saving my life," he joked. "If anyone risks their lives, I'll be in debt forever."

"Oh?" she asked, raising an eyebrow, her tone humorous. "And how are you going to pay me back?"

"Well," he said as he carefully loaded the flare gun he had pulled out of his bag, "I'm really hoping you do something stupid, too, and I can save your life. But somehow I don't see it happening. So barring that, I guess I'd have to become your personal servant for a while."

She smiled. "Servant, huh?"

He nodded, mock serious. "Oh, sure. Blake, this all very basic, life-saving stuff. I'm surprised you don't know it. Someone saves your life, you have to… you know. Feed them grapes, do their laundry. Fan them with a big leaf. I'm pretty sure this came up in Professor Goodwitch's class."

She laughed quietly. "I think you might have dreamt that class."

"What, you don't like the idea of me feeding you grapes?"

"Trade grapes with something more appealing, and you've got yourself a deal." She froze and blinked as soon as she the words came out of her mouth. Was she… flirting? Were _they_ flirting?

He didn't share this realization. He simply looked at her and made a face. "If you're hoping I'll end up feeding you sardines or something, you can forget it. My life isn't worth _that_ much." He cocked the gun, pointing it in the air. "What time is it?"

She shook off the odd feeling and checked. "11:59."

He looked thoughtful before shrugging at her. "Eh. Pyrrha is always early."

The flare flew off into the air and hovered high, high above them- this was a bright, green one, and shone brightly. It was surprisingly quiet, which Blake was thankful for.

To her surprise, Jaune loaded a second flare, cocking the gun and pointing at the sky once again. He fired, and a second flare flew up, sitting high in the sky above them. This one was a bright, neon blue.

"So? What do they mean?" she asked.

He sat down next to her, taking the canteen from her hands and taking a swig. "The green one is a pretty simple 'All Clear'- it means we're safe, no injuries. Basically saying no action is needed by the rest of the team. Just letting you know we're okay."

"The blue one- that's a bit more complicated. See, same reason I worried about the scrolls being useless outside of the service area, I was also worried about getting supplies around. The lockers are great- but only if you can contact them, only if they can get a lock on you, and only if you're using one of the landing positions you've memorized a code for. So we came up with… well, just watch."

Blake looked at him in confusion, and then sat back. For a while, nothing happened. Eventually the flares that dangled in the air ran out of fuel and disappeared.

A few more minutes passed. "Jaune, are you sure…?"

"Just trust me, Blake."

She nodded, leaning back against the rock and taking another swig of water.

Suddenly she heard it- the unmistakable sound of something tearing through the air. She looked up in surprise- an object was flying over the tree line, heading for their position.

What on earth…?

"No," Blake said aloud, when she finally realized what it was. "No way."

"Yep," said Jaune, a bit of simple pride in his voice and smile.

The object was, unmistakably, one of Pyrrha's practice spears. It was tearing through the sky at an alarming speed. "She can throw one this far?!"

"Oh yeah. I mean she's helping it along with a bit of her semblance- but mostly she's just really, really… really good at throwing spears."

The spear came falling out of the sky towards the field they were in, and with a thunderingly loud thunk, embedded itself in the middle of the field.

"Come on, let's see what she sent us!"

He jogged over to the spear. She had to take a moment- I mean, she knew Pyrrha was strong. She had arrived as one of the top students in Beacon's history, and had only gotten stronger over the last three years. But this was something else. They were a day's run away from the school.

She got up and walked up over towards the spear. As she approached it, she realized a small pack was tightly tied around the back of the spear. Jaune was unwrapping it.

"Let's see. Ahh, a note!" He began to read. "Dear Jaune and Blake- I'm so glad to see you're safe!"

"Wait- how does she know I'm safe?"

"She told you the noon timing," said Jaune, as if it was the simplest thing in the world.

Blake wondered how that seemed so obvious to him, but nodded anyway.

"I'm so glad to see you're safe," he continued. "Unfortunately, I can't throw too many supplies that distance, but I've sent along a few necessities. First aid kit, water sanitizer, some food. I also noticed that Blake left without her coat…"

"My coat!" she said, reaching into the pack and pulling it out. Thank goodness, she thought. This would make any activity at night much more possible.

"...so I've also sent it along. Please, both of you, come home quickly! Jaune, I don't know what happened, but I promise we can figure it out together! I'll be waiting for you when you get back. Sincerely, Pyrrha." Jaune smiled, and began to put everything she sent into his pack.

She looked at him in confusion. "But why ask for the supplies? I mean, don't get me wrong- I'm glad to have my coat- but it's not like we were desperate for anything else."

"Because now we have a compass." He moved over to the tip of the spear, pointing down the shaft at the trees in the distance. "Low wind, and Pyrrha throws straight as an arrow. So… this points the way home."

She blinked at him a second. It was so obvious, and she was kicking herself for not figuring it out. He wasn't just trying to get supplies- he was trying to see where Pyrrha threw the spear from. Blake was just realizing why Jaune was admired by his teammates such a good leader. "Jaune, that's… brilliant."

He shrugged as he pulled the spear out of the earth. "Hey, you were pretty much leading us in the right direction, anyway." he said. "Besides-"

Wait, what was…?

Blake's head snapped back to the trees behind them, which immediately silenced Jaune. Her eyes carefully scanned the tree line.

"Blake?" quietly asked Jaune, looking at her carefully.

She heard it again. "Damn it," she said out loud.

"They're back?"

She nodded, grabbing her quickly and quietly. "I can hear them, but they're far off. We've got plenty of time. Still- let's get out of here sooner rather than later."

He nodded, picking up his pack and looking her in the eyes. "Lead the way."

She looked back and froze.

"Jaune."

"What?"

"Your... your eyes. It's back."

* * *

They tried to continue traveling at a reasonable pace, but the further they went, the worse his blindness became, and the more they had to slow down.

They had been traveling for hours- and given the relentless pace they had taken to get out here, it was hard to tell how much further they had to go. There was still no sign of Beacon's tower, which was disheartening.

She could feel his power creeping up on her again. Not as intense as when she was the focus of his attention, but she could feel it shooting through her body.

Night would be falling soon, thought Blake, stepping through the brush. There was no way they'd make it back tonight- even if they pushed themselves. It wasn't worth it.

"Let's stop here," she said, looking around the forest. It would be as good a place as any.

"We can keep going," he said. "I'm okay to keep going."

"It doesn't matter. We'll never make it back by nightfall." She dropped the supplies on her back, checking her scroll. Damn, she thought. Still out of range. "We shouldn't push ourselves if we don't have to. And Pyrrha knows we're safe now." She turned towards him. "Besides, we need to figure out how to control this before we get any further."

He shook his head. "I'm not… lending power... to you unless I absolutely have to."

"I'm not asking you to. Not this time."

He looked at her in surprise.

"You want to get control of this thing, right? By yourself?" she continued, setting up their supplies. "Let's figure it out." She sat down, patting the grass in front of her.

He put down his own supplies, and sat across from her.

They looked at each other a moment before she started to talk.

"This power," she started, "Your power- there's a lot that comes with it. I've been thinking about it, today. It doesn't seem to come as naturally as most semblances do- though maybe because you've been using it all this time accidentally, it's different... I'm not sure. The important thing is that we've got a couple things to figure out- the first of which is how you can control your own power. Not as it relates to anyone else- not how you bestow it. But just how you handle it, yourself."

He nodded at her.

"What does it feel like?" she asked him. "Right now."

His eyes looked thoughtful through the steadily increasing white flame. "It feels- it feels like it's hot or something. But it also feels like I'm drowning in it. This big pool of aura, but it just doesn't… it doesn't feel like anything is where it belongs." He blinked. "I'm sorry, I know that doesn't make much sense…"

She looked at him thoughtfully. That seemed familiar. "Like the aura isn't yours? Or that… it's not made for you?"

He blinked at her. "Yeah, actually… yeah, that's right. How did you…?"

She chewed her lip gently as she studied him. It didn't make any sense. She had felt the same way- under his tree, when his fury had lashed the power out, it felt foreign and overwhelmed her. But when he watched her run- or when he had given her the power when he was blind and surrounded by Grimm- the power felt like it was for her... made with her in mind. And though it was in a lot of ways overwhelming, not in the same way. It was empowering above anything else.

Blake assumed this was because the aura was _his_ \- and his semblance was the ability to mold the aura and pass it along to those who needed it. Isn't that what bestowing meant? But why, then, would it feel foreign to him?

Wasn't it his to begin with?

"Jaune, when you gave me power, when we were surrounded- did you feel your own aura weaken?"

"No- I mean, I don't think so. It's hard to remember."

"Try."

He looked thoughtful. "No. It didn't really feel like my aura then, either- I mean, I could feel the aura I was using as my protection, and this was… something else. Something not mine."

"Whose did it feel like?"

He shook his head. "How would I know that?"

"Just- think. Did it remind you of anyone?"

"No- no, nothing like that, it just felt like it belong to someone else."

Blake continued to study him. Why on earth would that happen? Whose would it be? "It doesn't make any sense," she muttered.

"What?"

"I think I'm beginning to understand your semblance more. You can pass on power, and aura… but you also manipulate that aura so it becomes compatible with the person you're passing it on to. That's why it felt so different, for me. Between the time I ran and the time I… fainted."

He looked guilty. She probably shouldn't have brought that up.

"That makes sense to me, though," she continued, "When you focused on me, you made the power _mine._ When you didn't, it was- well I felt like you do now. Overwhelmed. Like it was… alien. But it's still your power, right? It starts as your power. So why would it ever feel alien to you?"

He shook his head. "I dunno, I… I think you're right Blake, but I just can't… I wish I could describe how it feels better, but I just don't have the words, I…" He laughed at himself in frustration. "I'm pretty much bind already. God, I'm sure if someone else was in my shoes, they'd be able to explain it better- like Pyrrha." He sighed. "Or any of my team, really."

Blake froze... and it all clicked. "Or Weiss?"

His eyes, blind though they were, managed to snap back to hers. "...what did you say?"

They held eye contact for a few seconds as Blake studied him once more. Could it really be so simple? So very Jaune?

He didn't feel worthy.

" _You're_ changing it," said Blake, almost accusingly.

"...What?"

"Your semblance is acting just like you, Jaune. Don't you see what you're doing?"

He looked defensive.

"You're twisting almost all of your own aura- even when you're alone- into other people's aura. That's why it feels foreign- that's why it's overwhelming you. You've got the world's most impressive aura- you can choose to make it anyone's you want. Giving it to other people comes naturally to you- after all, you've been doing it all your life _._ You take a little for yourself, but you don't feel worthy of it all- so your semblance twists it into other auras- _everyone else's_ auras."

His face was unreadable. "You mean you think…?"

"Jaune, I'm positive. That's the only explanation. Giving up power to others, that comes naturally to you- but you've never even once thought about how to keep it and make it _yours_."

They looked at each other for a while. "Blake, I don't think-"

"Just- try this." She cut off his denials. It just made too much sense. "The day, when you watched me run- when you focused on me. Do that, but focus only on yourself. Okay? Push away everything else, and just think about you." He looked doubtful. "Please, Jaune- just try this. For me."

He looked at her for a second, and nodded. Closing his eyes, and taking deep breaths, just like he had before he watched he run. He breathed a few more times, and Blake watched with baited breath

Still, nothing.

He opened his eyes, which erupted with white fire. He was getting frustrated at himself. "It's not working, Blake. I can't feel it working..."

It wasn't the same- she knew it. It didn't look the same. It didn't feel the same. Something was different about his thought process. "Jaune, when you focus on me, what do you think about? What's on your mind?"

He scratched the back of his head awkwardly. "I just think about you, Blake- that's all."

"But how? What about me, Jaune? Come on- this is important."

"All right… but don't laugh, okay?"

She looked at him, quizzically, but nodded.

"I just… I just think about the things I associate with you most. The things I admire about you, I guess? Your… agility, and speed. Your powerful senses. I guess the way you handle everything with the same grace." She was grateful he was having trouble seeing- she wasn't expecting this, and could feel herself blushing. "Your intelligence, and your… I think a lot about your eyes, if I'm being honest? ...all right, please tell me I'm not making this too weird for you, it's really hard to tell when I can't see your face…"

"No, not at all," she said with a perfectly professional tone. He'd never be able to guess that her face was bright red. "That was helpful. Okay- Jaune, close your eyes."

He did so, and she approached him quietly.

"Now breathe. And concentrate. And think of yourself- but don't think of yourself as the cheater, or the slacker, or… whatever else you said last night. Think of the Jaune that dives headfirst into danger rather than see any of his friends get hurt. Think of the Jaune who brushes off blows of Ursa and Beowolves alike without flinching." She got closer to his face, quietly talking to him. "Think of the Jaune who'd wear a dress rather than see a friend sad. Think of Jaune the selfless, Jaune the brave, Jaune the invincible, Jaune the kind."

She could see his breathing getting easier. "That's the real Jaune. Don't think of the Jaune that Weiss sees, and don't think of the Jaune that you think you are." She felt her throat dry up- was this going to go too far? Too personal? No- she would say it. Now wasn't the time to hold back.

She swallowed. "Think of the one I see."

Inches away from her face, his eyes opened and locked onto hers- a beautiful clear blue, the white flames totally gone.

And shining like a beacon, the aura which surrounded his body glowed so bright it was like staring into the sun.

But Blake didn't turn away.

* * *

 _Author's notes:_

 _No news to report. Hope you liked it. Next chapter: sleeping bag talk, part 2._

- _James Locklear_


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter 6: As the Night the Day

* * *

Blake and Jaune set up the camp in silence.

Jaune's blinding Aura faded away as quickly as it had appeared. Blake assumed- though it was hard to tell- that his own natural Aura was much easier for him to control. It certainly did not seem to be overwhelming him anymore.

She was unpacking the supplies from their bags while he set up the tent. She glanced over at him quickly- seeing his intense, focused eyes. He was not thinking about the tent he erected, clearly. She guessed his mind was still occupied by his newfound power- but she didn't press for information. She could tell he was still figuring it out himself.

It was a bit awkward between them. Or, at least, she felt that way. It was hard to tell what his exact thoughts were.

The eye contact they had shared when he had finally gained control- when his eyes finally cleared of the overwhelming power, and his aura glowed like the sun- felt so necessary at the time. Their eye contact was so intense, it felt like it was the only thing that tethered him to stability- the only thing that kept the power from consuming him again.

But as the light of his aura faded away, and as he gained control again, the weight and significance of Blake's words suddenly hit her- and the intensity of the eye contact seem to occur to them both. Not to mention how close they were to one another. When she had approached him, it had felt so natural... it was just something she had to do to help a friend she cared about.

But when the light faded, the inches between them felt more intimate than she had expected.

Blake wasn't sure who broke the eye contact first. But she did know neither of them had said a word since her declaration of the 'Jaune she saw'.

Part of her wished she could take that moment back. On the one hand, it seemed, in retrospect, overly intimate. On the other... it was all true. And she had no worries about inflating Jaune's ego. He hardly had one.

And it... had worked, hadn't it? Jaune didn't really believe any of what she was saying... until the moment she convinced him it was how she felt.

She shook off that thought. It wasn't 'how she felt', it was just the truth. Just a truth that a friend needed to hear.

She glanced at him again, but his focus remained unchanged. Every now and then he would look down at his palms, and slowly squeeze his fingers into a fist- as if he was testing something, or feeling something for the first time. It was hard to tell- but again, Blake wasn't going to push for information. Not while he was still processing it.

He finished setting up the tent, but clearly was still distracted- his eyes still focused on his palms.

She walked over to him, holding two of the dried food bars that Jaune had packed for meals. The bars- designed for hunters in the wild, with all the basic nutrition you needed to survive- tasted like eating cardboard. Though they said chocolate on the wrapper, there didn't seem to be an ounce of chocolate in them, nor any chocolate flavoring. But they basically never rotted, so despite their taste, every hunter in their third year was overly familiar with them.

She held out one of the bars towards him, silently offering him one. It took him a few seconds to realize she was there, snapping out of whatever thoughts were consuming him. "Hm?" he said, his eyes finding hers before realizing what she was doing. "Oh- thank you."

She just nodded at him, and they both found spots around the tent to sit, unwrapping the bars and eating in silence.

The sun was setting- and the night was getting colder. They both knew that a fire was an unnecessary risk- especially given that they could be more than comfortable, so long as they kept to the same sleeping arrangement as the night before.

Blake would glance over at Jaune every now then- something was obviously on the tip of his tongue. She waited for him to think over what he wanted to say.

Unexpectedly, though, he seemed to push away his thoughts as he finished his meal. "Ready for bed?"

Blake blinked at him once. She was finally getting used to Jaune's overwhelming honesty, that to see him hold anything back felt abnormal. Still, she was already feeling strange enough from the day's events, so she didn't press the issue. "Sure. We've got a long day tomorrow."

He nodded at her, and they both got into the sleeping bag. It was almost less awkward this time than the first- almost.

Eventually, though, they settled in, huddled under their little tent, tucked behind a tree.

"Comfortable?" he asked.

"Yeah, I'm fine."

"I'll take the first watch?"

"Sounds good. Night."

"Night."

Blake couldn't believe they were going to bed without talking about any of the day's events. His power? His control? What she... what she had said? She felt exhausted, of course- she knew she should sleep- but she couldn't even close her eyes. She could only stare out into the dark forest.

She hated this, and she wasn't even sure why. Things had been so comfortable between them, and now suddenly she felt like he had closed off. What was going on?

Minutes passed. Then longer.

Until finally, he spoke. "Blake? Are you- are you awake?"

"Yeah," she replied softly.

"Can I ask you something? Again?"

She nodded. He was, undoubtedly, about to bring up what was on his mind. It was probably about what she said- asking what she had meant when she talked about the Jaune she saw. She could feel heat in her cheeks- she wasn't sure she had a good answer yet. But she didn't want to run from the question either. "Yeah?"

"What's your favorite book?"

Blake blinked. "... what?"

"What's your, uh- favorite book."

She was so thrown off by this question she had to repeat it back to him. "My favorite..."

"Your favorite book, yeah."

She opened her mouth for a second to question him more, but closed it, before eventually finding herself laughing at the absurdity of it. An enormous amount of relief came with the laugh. She turned her shoulders towards him, so they could look at each other. "Jaune," she said, after her soft laughter subsided, "Why- why the hell are you asking me that now?"

He looked defensive, but wore his signature goofy smile. "What, do you think this is a bad time to ask?"

"Yes, obviously."

"Well," he said, his tone teasing and playful, "If you don't have a favorite book, that's all you had to say."

"That's not what- I'm just saying, that's why you woke me up? That question?"

"You weren't asleep," he said confidently.

"You didn't know that," she shot back.

"Yes I did."

"How?"

"You weren't snoring."

Last night's conversation suddenly hit her. "I do not snore, no matter what Yang says."

He looked sly. "You're right, you're right."

"Thank you."

"You purr."

She looked at him shocked. "I definitely do not purr, thank you very much."

"Oh yes. Yes you do."

She turned away from him again. "Well, maybe I do, but at least I don't drool."

There was I pause before he reacted. "I... don't..."

She didn't respond, letting him draw his own conclusions.

"I didn't... did I? Oh god, on you? Did I drool in your hair?" He sounded mortified.

She laughed at him, happy to get the upper hand. "Okay, no. You don't. You're a pretty heavy sleeper, actually."

"Oh thank god."

"But seriously," she said, turning back to him, "Favorite book? Was that really on your mind?"

"Yeah- I mean, kind of."

"Why?"

"Because..." he started, trailing off as he looked for the right words. "Because- I don't know. These last days have been pretty crazy. We've been through a lot, and it's just- I was thinking that it's strange, because so much has happened- you've helped me so much. You've literally saved my life... I think twice now. And I was thinking how much I owe you, and yet..." He gave her a significant look. "Blake, I don't even really know you. I mean, I've opened up to you twice now with some pretty significant stuff- and maybe you have too. Maybe stuff we haven't said out loud to other people. Maybe stuff we wouldn't say to other people."

She nodded at that. She certainly had never talked about her feelings on her bow before.

"But I just don't know... you know, the stupid stuff. The easy stuff. Like your favorite meal, or your favorite color, or..."

"My favorite book?" she finished simply.

"Yeah. Stuff that friends just... know. But I don't and I... I dunno." He paused, then suddenly sounded regretful. "I'm sorry, this was... this was-"

"No," she cut him off, finally understanding. "It's not stupid. I get it." She thought for a moment. "You started with a pretty hard one, you know that?"

"What? You're always reading books."

"Yeah, that's what makes it hard! Plus it's... complicated."

She could feel him shake his head in mock disapproval. "Okay, fine then. You can start with an easier one. Favorite color?"

She thought for a second. "Black."

"Black isn't a-"

She sighed, having heard this argument a million times before. "If you say black isn't a color, I'm going to kick you in the shins."

"It's not- but I'll accept that as an answer I suppose- if just for my shins."

"What's yours?"

He didn't take any time to answer. "Purple."

"...purple?"

"Yeah, why? Does that surprise you?"

"No. I've just... never seen you wear any purple."

"Just because I don't look good in it, doesn't mean I can't admire it. Now you ask something."

She blinked, a smile forming on her face. "I just did!"

"No no," he went on, humor in his voice, "You just asked my question back to me. That hardly counts."

She chuckled. "Okay, fine. What's your favorite food?"

He mocked shock. "I suggested that question!"

"Well, I'm taking it. Consider it a part of the whole 'saving your life' package."

"Fair enough. My third oldest sister makes these cookies from scratch, which- I mean, I ate so many of those growing up, I'm kind of surprised I'm not 300 pounds. What's yours?"

"Fish."

There was a pause before Jaune laughed. "Just 'Fish'? Surely there's got to be a more specific-"

"Salmon is the best fish, but really, any fish. Literally any fish." Her stomach growled. "We really have to stop talking about food while we've got nothing but those bars to eat..."

"Good point. Okay, if you had to be stuck on a desert island with one professor for a week, who would it be?"

"These questions are getting more interesting."

She could feel him shrug. "Hey, I'm just warming up."

She pursed her lips in thought. "Okay- Ozpin. I think at least he'd be quiet for most of it, where all the other professors either would try to teach me the whole week, or would never shut up."

"Sounds about right."

"Which of your sisters were you closest with?"

Jaune seemed surprised by the question. "Wh- you're not going to ask me which professor I'd want to get stuck on a desert island with?"

"Goodwitch," Blake said without hesitation.

"...how did you-"

"Are you asking me if I'm wondering who'd you choose among the professors we've had- between a bunch of old men... and Goodwitch?"

He paused before she could feel him nodding. "Okay, yeah, good point. Closest sister? That's tough... but probably that same sister- third oldest. Her name's Catherine. We always spent the most time together. What about in your family, who were you closest w-"

He cut himself off when he realized what he was saying. Blake tried to think of a way to respond, but nothing came to her.

Jaune may have grown up in a large family, but Blake had grown up alone. No siblings, no parents.

"... God, Blake, I didn't mean-"

"Of course you didn't. It's fine."

"No, Blake, I'm really-"

"Seriously. Jaune. It's fine." She could feel him relent, but his guilt still caused an awkward pause between them. "I mean, I had a family of sorts. Just not the kind you're thinking of." She did her best to put on a humorous tone. "No cookie baking, certainly."

"You mean the White Fang?" he carefully asked.

She nodded.

"How did you... end up joining them?" He asked softly.

There was another awkward pause. She had barely ever talked about this part of her life before. It was a tough subject to even think about.

He tried to backtrack, thinking he had gone too far. "I'm sorry, we were doing the easy stuff- maybe we should go back to th-"

"No," said Blake, cutting him off. "No, it's fine. It's just... I don't really remember a lot before the White Fang." She thought back, finding memories she hadn't thought about in a long time. "Just- I have memories of the streets, and begging, and some stealing too, but not any people, you know? I mean, it's not like I had any friends, or anything. I just did what I needed to survive, nothing more, nothing less. But like I said- I really don't remember much. Except-" She paused. This was something she hadn't brought up in front of anyone. "Except the books."

"The books?" asked Jaune, surprised.

Blake was thoughtful for a second. This was a deeply personal memory- should she tell him? Would there be any point?

But even her minor confession the night before had felt so... good. It felt so right to say it out loud, to tell someone for once. And though the reasons as to why were still deeply confusing, it felt so easy to talk to Jaune.

So she told the story.

"Yeah. There was a bookshop, run by an older faunus man- it was full of these old, worn books. I remember he would open his shop and line the street in front his shop with all these books- row after row, all different colors. It's funny- I don't remember anyone teaching me how to read, but someone must have, you know? At least a little bit. So I stole a book when he wasn't looking and ran off with it.

"It was really the first time I had taken anything I didn't need, you know? I didn't need the book to survive. At least, that's how I thought of it at first. I hadn't even really looked at what I took- I just grabbed something with a good picture on the front and ran. And though it was nearly impossible for me to get through- it was way above my reading level- I managed to read the book cover to cover. And then I did it again. And again. I can't count how many times I read it. Because no matter how bad things were, I could just... open the book, and then I'd be somewhere else. I'd be somebody else.

"I felt too guilty to just steal another. So I went back, and while he wasn't watching, I put back the book and stole a new one. I couldn't believe it- a whole new story, you know? There were more books than I could count in that store- and I didn't know if any would be as good as the first, but I wanted to find out.

"I kept this up for a while. I'd grab a book, read it in a few nights, and then I'd trade it out when he wasn't looking. That is, until one day, when I got caught. I was putting the book back, when suddenly I felt someone reach out and grab my arm. I panicked at first, terrified. I tried to shake him off.

"But when I turned to look at him, it was the owner of the store- and in his hand was a new book. 'Here,' he said- 'I think you'll like this one.' And he put it in my hands, and left without another word. I bolted, terrified it was a trick, or... a trap. That I would be thrown in jail the moment he turned around. But I took the book and I- I read it anyway. And it was so good, Jaune. I read it so many times- both because I was afraid to return it- but also because it was the greatest thing I had ever read."

"What was it?" asked Jaune.

Blake looked thoughtful for a moment, before she started to quote. "'There was once a very rich merchant, who had six children, three sons, and three daughters; being a man of sense, he spared no cost for their education, but gave them all kinds of masters. His daughters were extremely handsome, especially the youngest. When she was little everybody admired her, and called her "The little Beauty;" so that, as she grew up, she still went by the name of Beauty.'" She smiled, her memories of the story fond. She turned towards Jaune. "Beauty and the Beast. That's my favorite book of all time."

He nodded, smiling at finally get an answer to his first question.

She turned away and continued. "But after I had read the book probably a hundred times, I finally was so desperate to read a new story that I went back, risking the possibility of being thrown in jail, or worse. But when I got back- he saw me, and all he did was ask me how I liked the story. I was cautious- I told him I liked it- and he nodded, offering a new one. And he told me that I could come anytime- and I could always have a book to read, so long as I brought the old one back. I couldn't believe my ears- I could actually come into the store and choose whatever I wanted? I was so ecstatic, I- I couldn't believe what I was hearing. So I took my new book and left.

"I went back countless amounts of times, and read countless books. Each time he would give me a new one, and all he would ask was if I'd liked it. I must have done this... I don't know how long, until one day I went back to the store, and it..." She swallowed, facing the memory with difficulty. "...it was on fire."

"What?" Jaune sounded shocked and horrified.

"It was a riot- I don't really remember what it was about. Something about humans being angry at Faunus business owners, something about them controlling too much wealth- all I know is that there were humans pushing fanus to the ground, and throwing things into book store, and the books- all the beautiful, colorful books- were all on fire. I'll never forget that, as long as I live. All of those books- all of them ablaze.

"I just stood there and watched- holding the only book left from the shop in my arms- feeling powerless to do anything."

There was a pause while Jaune took this all in. "Did- did the shopkeeper...?"

"No," she said simply. "He died in the fire. And you know what's terrible? I never even learned his name. I was so scared of him, even though he was so nice to me... I never even asked." She felt something tickle her nose, so she reached up to wipe it off, and then looked at her fingers.

That's strange- was she crying?

She didn't want to show Jaune that, so she stayed turned away from him. Her voice was even, strong and calm as she continued- as long as he didn't see her eyes, he'd never know she shed the tear. "Something changed for me that day. Before I was just getting by, day-by-day... doing just what I needed to survive. But now- when Faunus started talking about change, about... doing something, I listened. I started joining in the protests. And it wasn't like I was recruited or anything- I was just in the middle of it. So when I heard there was a group looking to do even more- I joined."

She paused, taking a deep breath. "That's how- that's why- I joined the White Fang."

There was a beat- she couldn't even feel Jaune breathe, the story seemed to take so much out of him.

Suddenly she felt Jaune's arm wrap around her, pulling her into a hug. Like the night before, the squeeze, despite their how close they already were, felt more intimate by several leagues.

But the contact between them just felt so right- this was, after all, a friend comforting a friend.

"Blake, I'm- I'm so sorry-"

"Don't worry about it, Jaune. It's ancient history. I hardly think about it anymore."

She could feel him shake his head as he released the hug. "Terrible. What they did to the owner of that store- it makes me so angry, I..."

"It made me angry too. It made me want to burn down ten human owned stores in protest. To show them how it felt. But I never gave in to that- I knew that there were good humans out there, and if people could just see- just see what they were doing- it would be okay. They wouldn't hurt us again. I never wanted it to get... violent. So when the White Fang became... what it is today... I left."

"What happened?" asked Jaune. "What caused you to leave? Do you remember?"

She felt anger swell up in her. "I remember the exact moment. Everything about it." But she shook off the memory. She wasn't ready to talk about that one. Not even with Jaune. So she wiped away another tear as stealthily as she could and put on a humorous tone. "But you already asked your question. It's my turn."

Jaune laughed. "Okay. Fair enough. But you know, I really just do not have anything that can possibly equal that."

"That's because you're an open book, Jaune."

"You make me sound so interesting," he quipped sarcastically.

"Not like that. You don't hide from people. I do."

"It doesn't seem like you're hiding," he said honestly.

Not from you, she thought, but didn't add that. She wasn't even sure why it was the case. "Maybe. But now I get my question."

"Go ahead."

"What were you thinking about- when you were setting up the tent? It seemed like you wanted to talk about something, and then didn't."

"Yeah, that's... that's true, how did you know that?"

She shrugged. "I could just tell."

"Man, I am an open book," he said, laughing at himself. "It's no big deal, I was just... I was just frustrated. And I thought about talking through it with you, but- I don't know. I didn't see the point."

"There's a point if it'll help you figure something out," she replied.

"Yeah. That's true." He sighed and thought for a moment before continuing. "I was just thinking about how- okay, with your stuff. All the things you've gone through, all the horrible stuff that's gotten in your way. You've never once let it beat you, you know? Here you are, one of the top huntresses at the best school- and you're only getting better each day, despite all you've faced.

"But me? The only thing that has ever gotten in my way, in my entire life... is me. You've made the absolute best out of a bad situation- being born on the streets, with nothing- and you were able to do that because you're incredible. Because you're one in a million. Whereas I've been given a lot, and really... the only thing that's ever gotten in the way of me finding success is... me.

"Like with my semblance- the reason I was blind and unable to move was because of me. Because of the way I was thinking, and because... because I didn't even know how to use my own aura for myself. I'm just constantly getting in my own way, and it's... frustrating. I'm just frustrated with myself."

She shook her head. "Jaune, you're wrong. You really don't see all you've achieved these last years? Stop basing everything on that stupid dueling record." She turned and looked at him. "You really can't see yourself, can you?"

He looked down at her, something flickering in his eyes at what she said. "Okay, I know my next question."

"Okay."

"Did you really mean all that you said?"

He didn't have to elaborate. She knew he meant what she said right before he had gained control of his semblance.

"That's an easy one. Yeah."

"When we- when I gained control, I mean-"

"I know what you meant. Yes, Jaune. Of course. I'm not going to lie to you about that kind of stuff, Jaune. I told you- that's not who I am."

He just nodded, and she turned away again.

"My turn?" she asked.

"Go ahead."

"Last night, you said it had never even occurred to you- thinking about Pyrrha romantically. What if you did?"

He laughed at the absurdity of this idea. "You mean, you're asking me- like, if Pyrrha appeared out of that bush over there, asking me if I wanted to go make out, what would I say?"

"No, I'm saying- what if she appeared out of that bush... and told you she's had a crush on you since the day she met you?"

The weight of her phrasing made Jaune pause. "Oh."

She settled in, happy to just let him think about it. And just to take a breath and collect her own thoughts. Though the fire had been the subject of a few nightmares she had experienced, she had always tried her best not to think of it. There was no doubt bringing it up was more difficult than she thought it would be.

Eventually she felt Jaune stir, and eventually, he spoke. "Yeah, okay. I have no idea."

She blinked. "That's all I get?" she asked, half teasing, half surprised.

"It's the truth!" he said, laughing at himself. "I seriously have no idea. On the one hand- seriously, any guy on earth would be lucky to have Pyrrha. She's famous, and beautiful- and she's only getting more so, with each year passing by. She's kind, and she's really done more for me than anyone ever has. I owe her everything I have."

Blake nodded. "Maybe. But owing someone isn't exactly the healthiest basis for a relationship."

"I know that. That's on the other hand. Because truthfully- as close as I am with her, and as amazing as I know she is- there's just never been- a spark, or anything, you know? She's been a teacher, and a mentor, and in a lot of ways the best partner I could ever ask for. We get along very well, but it's not- chemistry, you know?"

Blake turned towards him. "Are you seriously telling me, if Pyrrha Nikos asked you out on a date right now, you'd say no?"

"No, I'm not saying that. I mean not really."

"What are you saying then?"

"It means that if she asked me out on a date, I'd probably say yes- just because it's worth the risk of finding out if we could work together. It would be crazy not to. And if she really had feelings for me, I'd want to see- I'd want to find out where those were coming from. And it's totally possible I would find some of my own.

"But you're not really asking me that question- you're not actually wondering if I'd say yes or no to her asking me out. You're wondering why I'm not harboring affections for her right now- why I haven't been pining for my perfect partner all these years. Right?"

She nodded.

"Well, that's why. She's my best friend in the world, Blake. I'd die for her a thousand times over. But being with her, spending time with her- I mean, talking to her has never felt like th-" He suddenly stopped talking, eyes wide.

Wait. What had he just stopped himself from saying?

Their two gazes locked again, his blue eyes fearfully probing hers, wondering if he had gone too far. Her golden ones peering into his, wondering if he was really going to say what she thought he was going to say.

This strange conversational comfort that Blake was experiencing with Jaune- was he feeling it too? She really did assume he was this open with everyone- but was it just her he was this open with, for some reason?

She opened her mouth to clarify. The words were on the tip of her tongue... but she never got the chance.

A noise, suddenly, in the distance. It was close- Blake heard it clear as day, but even Jaune reacted.

"Grimm?" he asked her, incredibly quietly.

She listened. It might have been a wild animal. There was no way to tell yet.

Another sound- the snapping of a large, fallen branch under something rather large.

Through the brush, the head of a Beowulf popped out.

The horde was still following them.

"Shit."

* * *

 _Author's notes:_

 _Guess what? It's my Birthday! I'm OLD. I'll be getting a drink for myself as soon as this goes live._

 _And if anyone reading this would be so kind as to do me a tiny birthday favor: I'm trying to find an artist to make some art for this story! Does anyone know any artist that might be willing? I'm happy to commission it, if necessary. Or maybe YOU reading this are a talented artist! If anyone has any ideas, feel free to PM me. I think we're all tired of seeing my stupid letter L up there instead of something relevant._

 _Interesting fact: Joan of Arc actually had a sister named Catherine, so I figured I'd stick with that._

 _Going to try to grab a drink to forget about little Blake, clutching a book, watching her bookstore burn down. Why do I think of these things?_

 _Or maybe that's the pic I should commission! Anyway._

 _-James Locklear_


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter 7: Aboard

* * *

The Beowulf was now close enough that Blake could see drool drip from its fangs.

Luckily for Blake and Jaune, it hadn't seen them yet- though given its distance, it was only a matter of time. They both lay perfectly still- trying their best not to attract its attention. It was fortunate that this was a young Grimm- mostly mindless, it couldn't understand what a tent was, and Jaune had placed the tent where it would best camouflage with its surroundings.

Still, it lifted its head to sniff the air- it knew something was close. It knew _prey_ was close.

Blake was beginning to hear more sounds far off- larger, probably more intelligent Grimm were getting closer. They wouldn't be able to wait this out.

So they'd have to kill it before it could make a noise.

Blake checked the distance between them and the Beowulf. It was fairly close, but even if she weren't trapped in a sleeping bag, it would still take her several seconds to get to it. She had killed hundreds of these in her huntress career thus far- she knew it would take only a moment after the Grimm saw them to roar an alert to the rest of its horde.

It slowly sniffed the air again- and though it wasn't looking at them directly, its eyes were beginning to wander closer to where they lay together.

Blake wanted to curse, feeling helpless. Assuming she had- at best- three seconds to get there before it reacted- she still had to get out of the deathtrap of a sleeping back, get to Gambol Shroud, get to the Beowulf, and finally kill it. And three seconds was a particularly generous estimate.

Even if she had brought her weapon to bed with her, she doubted she could close the distance in that time anyway. How long would it take her? Five seconds? Four, maybe?

Wait.

Suddenly her mind flashed back to her test with Jaune, where she and Pyrrha had confirmed his semblance. The distance was about the same- but she hadn't been stuck in a sleeping back, nor had she needed to stop and pick up her weapon.

Would she be able to handle it? Could she even make it in time?

Well, she thoughtfully bitterly... it was the only shot they had.

Blake waited for the gentle wind to pick up before speaking, allowing the sound of it on the leaves cover up her voice. "Jaune," whispered Blake, her voice as quiet as she could possibly make it, "I'm going for the kill." She wasn't sure how long the wind would last, so she stuck to only to the most important details. "Focus on me for speed, then count down from three and rip open the sleeping bag."

She felt him gently nod as the wind died down again, leaving only intense silence.

And after a few seconds, she felt his power again, shooting through her. The pool of aura. The electricity in her muscles. But she fought against the urge to move, and stayed completely still.

Slowly, incredibly carefully, she felt his arms move on either side of her. She watched as his hands came together in front of her, each one grabbing fistfuls of the sleeping bag's material.

The sleeping bag was well made- but she had seen Jaune knock an Ursa on its back using only his shield. She had no doubt he could tear it like paper.

"Three..." came the almost silent whisper in her ear. She felt herself tense up, getting ready to move.

"Two..." She focused on her goals- get to her weapon, get to her kill. No false steps, no wasted breath.

"One..." She let the power start to consume her more. She could feel his arms around her begin to tense.

"Go-!" he whispered intensely, and the sleeping bag practically exploded as his hands ripped it in half.

Blake wasted no time. She pushed off of Jaune, reaching an arm out and grabbing the earth, lunging towards Gambol Shroud. She had yet to actually look at the Beowulf- for now, all of her focus was on picking up her weapon.

It felt exactly like the first test with Jaune. She felt like she was kicking away the earth, putting everything she had into what she was doing. Except this time, even more so. Maybe because Jaune was getting more control, but she could feel even more power flow through her.

Her hands found Gambol Shroud, and she turned on the Beowulf, doing everything she could to keep her momentum. Its eyes were locked onto her as she began to run towards it.

The world seemed to move in slow motion as she watched it take in a large breath. This was going to be close. She pushed herself harder, faster than she thought she was able.

It lifted its head to roar an alert to its pack. She unsheathed her weapon, preparing the attack.

It opened its mouth...

But Gambol Shroud's blade was embedded in its neck, and no noise came out.

The Beowulf glanced back down briefly before Blake pulled the blade out of its neck, causing the Beowulf to vanish into nothing.

Breathing a sigh of relief, Blake looked back at Jaune, who was sitting up in the ruined sleeping bag. He looked equally relieved.

Quickly and quietly, they both began to grab their supplies.

Blake's ears flicked in her bow as she heard more Grimm getting closer. "Leave the tent," she whispered to Jaune. "No time to pack it."

"Are you sure?" he whispered back. "That could have been one lone Beowulf..."

"I can hear more," she said. "Close."

He nodded. "It's going to be cold, if we have to sleep out here again."

"I doubt we'll be able to sleep at all," she muttered. Even if they escaped undetected, they would need to put a serious amount of distance between them and the horde. It was going to be a long night after a rough day. "But we can't be too far from Beacon now."

Slinging what they needed over his shoulder, Jaune looked to Blake. "Ready?"

She nodded back at him, and the two began moving carefully away from their tent. Blake took the lead, guiding Jaune away from the multiple sounds she could hear through the brush.

She led them quietly between the trees, through bushes and thickets, always careful to be as quiet as she could. Jaune followed suit.

Given that they only slept half the night before as they needed to keep watch, and that it seemed they would be going all night without rest, both of them were beginning to feel the effects of exhaustion. And they had been on the move, almost constantly, for days.

But Blake just ignored her aching body, and kept pushing through. Jaune appeared to be doing the same.

After an hour or two of careful movement, they reached the edge of the trees. Breaking through some brush, they were greeted by a beautiful sight.

"The tower!" said Jaune.

Peeking over a hill was Beacon's main tower. Blake sighed with relief- they weren't very far now.

She checked her scroll- still no service. It didn't matter, really. They could see their destination.

They took a moment to look at one another. Blake noted the bags under eyes which didn't seem to be able to focus very well.

He looked like she felt.

"How are you doing?" she asked him, her voice concerned. "Are you okay to keep moving?"

He gave her a tired smile. "What, you think a little night jog through the woods is going to stop me?"

She smiled back at him, starting to walk out into the field past the forest. "Just making sure you're going to be able to keep up. I don't know about you, but I'm sleeping in a _bed_ tonight."

"Given the state of our sleeping bag, I don't think we have much choice," he muttered wryly, walking next to her. "It's that or the ground." He looked thoughtful. "I wonder how much trouble I'll get in for losing a school tent and destroying a sleeping bag."

"Not anywhere near the amount of trouble you're going to be in with Pyrrha, so I wouldn't worry about it."

He looked concerned. "You think she's going to be mad?"

"For running headfirst into danger? Yeah."

"The note she sent seemed okay."

"Because she's worried about you now. Trust me. As soon as she knows you're safe, she's going to kill you."

He laughed at her phrasing, then sighed. "Well, I guess I've earned it."

She glanced at him with a small smile. "First, real food, then real sleep, then we worry about who's in trouble for what."

"What, you don't like all the chocolate bars I brought?"

"If there was an ounce of chocolate in those things, maybe, but so far as I can tell they're-"

Both Jaune and Blake dropped low in the grass when the heard the screech high above them. Staying as still as they possibly could, they looked up in the night for the source of the sound.

"What was that? Nevermore?" asked Jaune, low in the grass.

Blake scanned the skies. Despite her strong eyesight, it was nearly impossible to pick out a Grimm in the night sky- their pitch black skin was the perfect camouflage in a dark night like this one. They were lucky they had the light of the moon to go on- without it, any airborne Grimm would be impossible to spot.

The moon was eclipsed by something flying- a black outline flashed across it before disappearing into the night again.

"Not a Nevermore," she said quietly.

Another shadow across the broken moon. Then another, and another. These were just the ones she could see- undoubtedly there were more hidden in the night sky. This time she caught the shape of the silhouette.

"What is it?" asked Jaune, tense.

"Griffons," said Blake with certainty.

"How many?"

She thought. "Too many."

"Did they spot us?"

"I don't know."

Another screech- closer this time. Her sensitive ears began to pick up the sounds of large wings flapping above them. She almost cursed aloud- they had been hidden in the woods. If she had known griffons were above them, she would not have stepped out into this field.

"Blake…?" asked Jaune, trying to spot them in the sky.

The sky was filled with the distinctive whistling sounds of large objects dive bombing the earth.

"Run!" yelled Blake, giving up on the stealthy approach. They both ran as fast as they were able towards the tower in the distance- desperate to make it closer to the school, where they could find support and safety.

The whistling and screeching grew louder, but still the Griffons were invisible to them.

Blake looked back to make sure Jaune was behind her, but she didn't dare slow down. He was close to her- his tired eyes intense.

He looked up suddenly. "Blake, look out-!"

Landing so hard the earth around it cracked, a Griffon slammed in front of them. Standing on its hind legs, it screeched again, aching for a fight. Blake almost ran straight into the enormous Grimm's chest.

Using her momentum, she leapt at it, unsheathing Gambol Shroud and slicing at the Grimm's neck. But in her exhaustion, she was slow- and one of its powerful claws swiped her back to the earth.

"Blake!" screamed Jaune, running over to her.

She recovered, frustrated. She had defeated too many of these things to let one beat her now- not when they were so close to home.

She leapt at it again, this time pushing herself as hard as she could- and her weapon found its target. The griffon disappeared to ashes.

But another landed behind where it was- and another landed beside it. And another behind them- then more to their left. They were being surrounded. It seemed to be raining Grimm as they all slammed the earth, screeching at them, itching for a fight.

Blake and Jaune were back to back facing the circle of new threats.

"So much for avoiding the horde," said Jaune to Blake behind him, covering up anxiety with humor. He opened his shield and held his sword in a ready position.

"What," she said, looking back at him and forcing a smile, "You can handle a night jog, but not a little warm up fight?"

He smiled back at her, but then his tone got serious. "I'm going to enhance you- all right?"

"No." Her tone matched his.

He looked over at her. "What…?"

"Save everything you have for yourself. I'll be fine."

"Blake, you look like you're ready to fall over-"

"So do you. Save it."

More griffon continued to land around them, but despite that fact, Jaune genuinely laughed. "No."

"Jaune-"

"Blake… trust me. I can handle it. I can handle enhancing us both."

She felt his power within her. "Jaune! Stop!"

"If I die, you can kill me right after Pyrrha does- okay?"

She glanced back at him- and she was surprised to see his eyes totally calm and confident.

"Trust me, Blake. Do you trust me?"

She didn't answer- her eyes probing his. Around them the griffons were clawing the earth, screeching and roaring, desperate for a fight, but not yet making a move at them.

The question was so simple, and yet Blake didn't say anything. The worst part was, she had asked Jaune to trust her several times in the last couple days, and he always would, without hesitation.

But that was just Jaune being Jaune. Blake wasn't built that way- she had gotten where she was by herself. She didn't need him to bestow his power into her. She didn't need anyone to sacrifice for her.

When she still didn't answer, he just smiled again. "Trust me, Blake," he repeated. As his eyes looked into hers, she could feel the power he lent grow.

One of the griffon behind Blake, seeing that she was turned towards Jaune, seized the opportunity to rush her.

Time was slow again as Blake continued to look into Jaune's eyes. She just gave Jaune a tiny nod before turning towards the advancing griffon.

Time seemed to move at a normal pace again, as she leapt and cleanly sliced into its chest. Empowered by Jaune, she felt back at full form.

The first griffon charging was all it took- suddenly all the griffon that surrounded them were forcing their way towards Jaune and Blake.

Blake, using all her momentum and power, lept around Jaune, using her semblance to confuse the griffons. She tore through each one, but even as she did, two more seemed to take its place.

Jaune, on the other hand, was a rock in the center of the circle- though he was being struck by griffon claws, he pushed them off with his shield, deflecting every blow that came his way.

"We need to break through the circle!" yelled Jaune over the chaotic sounds of battle and the screeching of the Grimm. "We need to get out of here before the rest of the horde gets here!"

Blake appeared to flicker as she moved around Jaune from target to target. Though the rest of the Grimm horde was much slower, there was no doubt they could hear the fighting in the distance and would be running towards it. If they didn't escape this, they would have to face more types than just griffon. Possibly more powerful types.

"Cover me as I push forward!" said Jaune.

He slowly moved towards the edge of the circle of griffon, towards the tower in the distance. Every step he took, Blake had to take thirty- flickering around him and defeating any of griffon that got too close to Jaune. Her abilities heavily enhanced, they could hardly see her, let alone fight back.

Step by step Jaune went, pushing off griffons with his shield and slicing ones close enough with his sword. He was an unshakable wall of defense against their onslaught- and Blake completely ignored her own defense, going full offense.

Another step- and another.

A lucky griffon swiped Blake out of the air, slamming her again to the ground.

"Blake?!"

"I'm fine!" she yelled back at him. She was so exhausted, but she could feel a constant supply of energy flowing from him. How long could she keep this up? How long could he?

She would break through this, and they would go home, and sleep. She would give them an out. She was determined.

But her exhausted body was having trouble keeping up, and a griffon caught her leg in his beak. She screamed out in pain.

She sliced desperately, cutting its eye, and it dropped her.

They kept going- kill after kill, slice after slice, step after step. Trying to break through. But there were so many- and with every attack, Blake could feel Jaune's well of power dry up. Power they both were relying on.

But they were making progress, until finally, only a few griffon stood between them and freedom from the circle they were trapped in.

Blake almost nothing left- but with one last desperate move she swiped at the few Grimm between her and freedom for them both. She killed two cleanly, but the last slammed the full weight of its body on her.

The air was forced out of her lungs as her aura cracked with a horrifying sound.

"Blake!"

The last thing she saw of the fight was a massive claw come down on her face- and a blinding white light.

* * *

"Blake? Blake!"

Blake woke with a start.

Jaune's relieved face was only inches away from hers. "Oh thank god. You have got to stop _doing_ that."

She looked around, totally confused. Where were the griffons? Had the rest of the horde caught up with them?

But her surroundings had completely changed. Her back was against a wall in cave. They were very close to its mouth- she could see the cave was high up, overlooking trees. In the distance she could still see the tower of beacon.

"…What… what happened?" she asked, grabbing her head in what she was just realizing was the worst headache of her whole life.

"You broke through the line of griffon. You did it, Blake."

"Yeah, but… how did we-?"

"After you fell, I saw an opening, so I picked you up and… ran."

She looked at him in disbelief. "You outran all those griffons? Carrying me?"

"Not really. You had had done such a number on them- there were so few of them left- that when I stood above you and swung my sword a few times, they took flight again. I think they may have followed me to the treeline, but… I think I lost them after that."

"How long did you carry me?"

He shrugged. "I lost track of time. I also just got regular lost, honestly- I was just looking for any place to hide from the skies." He gestured around them. "This little cave fit the bill."

She really looked him over. He looked beyond exhausted- clearly running on adrenaline.

"I think we're even now," she said, closing her eyes and rubbing her temple.

"Ah! Wait, don't!"

She blinked at him, removing her hand from her head and looking at it.

And seeing blood.

"Oh." she said simply.

"Hold on," he said, pulling what little supplies they had left. "We need to clean that."

She felt so tired, and finally felt even remotely safe. She couldn't care less about a little scratch. "It's fine, Jaune."

"Yeah," he said, his tone sarcastic, "I remember Goodwitch really harping the lesson that if you're bleeding from the head, it's fine, just go ahead and sleep it off."

Blake shot him a look as he pulled out the water and first aid kit. "You know, I don't remember you ever being this sarcastic."

He smiled at her. "Neither do I. Must be the four hundred mile jog after half a night's sleep."

She chuckled softly. He pulled a small cloth out of the first aid kit and ran water from his canteen over it.

"I'm just going to wipe away some of the blood so I can see the wound, okay?"

She feigned seriousness. "Yes, Nurse Arc."

" _Now_ who's being sarcastic?" He shook the cloth, removing any excess water. "And you couldn't have even made me Doctor Arc?"

"I'll call you whatever you want if you let me sleep."

"What, tired? For some reason?"

"You didn't go on that four hundred mile jog by yourself, you know."

"I did for the last leg- all with you on my back."

There was a pause as she realized the weight of what he had done.

"Jaune..." She said, swallowing. "Thank you."

He shot her an odd look, uncertain what she meant.

"You saved my life," she clarified.

He laughed. "Yeah, after you had made mincemeat out of- what, a hundred griffons? I took down like _ten_."

"I was only able to stand up because of your semblance!"

"I don't think that's true, Blake."

"Well I still say, no matter how it happened, you saved my life, so we're even."

"I say we each got a point, so I still owe you one. Besides," he said, reaching towards her head with the wet cloth, "I'm counting this as being a servant for you."

She smiled at him. "Can we go back to the feeding me deal? I'll even eat grapes."

"No chance. Now stop whining. This won't hurt at all." He looked sly. "Well, not until I get the antibiotic out, anyway."

She groaned.

The wet cloth touched her forehead and she made a face as she felt how cool it was. But Jaune began to wash the blood away with surprising care and grace. His touch was delicate as he gently wiped her forehead and hair, clearing away the blood so he could see the wound better. He was avoiding the wound for now- so though she knew it would sting soon, at the moment it felt kind of… comforting.

She watched his eyes as he worked. They were focused on the task at hand, carefully watching his hands and her head as he cleaned.

I guess she shouldn't have been surprised- you grow up with as many siblings as Jaune had, you probably helped with your fair share of cuts and bruises. She could imagine him helping a younger sister in this way.

There was something so comforting about him, something so easy to open up to. She couldn't put her finger on exactly why. He was so different from anyone she had ever met, growing up on the street. Or anyone in the White Fang. He was just so… trustworthy.

As soon as the thought hit her, the moment before the battle came to mind again. When he asked her to trust him, and she said nothing in return.

"Jaune."

"Mm?"

"I trust you."

His eyes looked into hers in surprise and the wet cloth froze on her forehead. "Blake, you don't have to-"

"No, I do."

"Come on, don't feel forced to-"

"Jaune, I told you, I'm not going to lie about this stuff. You told me that, remember? That first night. You said I never had to lie to you. I trust you." She swallowed, and he resumed cleaning her forehead, but his face held a mild frustration that he was trying to hide. "I do," she said, softer. She was strangely hurt he didn't immediately believe her.

He removed the cloth from her head- which had gone from it's clean white to a stained red. He used more water from the canteen to clean it off, and started to repeat the process. "Blake," he started, clearly processing his thoughts as he spoke, "You and I- we're… incredibly different people. And that might be putting it mildly. I'm- well, I trust too quickly, maybe. And maybe that's a fault of mine."

"I don't think so," she said.

His reply was a short, dismissive laugh.

"I don't, Jaune. You just put way more faith in others than you do in yourself. But I don't think being trusting is a bad thing. Not with friends."

"Maybe," he said, shaking his head. "And I get why you're hesitant to trust- I get that. I know- a little bit- of how you grew up, and what that was like. About how everything you needed, you had to fight for… on your own. But I just don't feel like- like you really trust me."

"I do! We just fought a horde together- do you seriously think I'd trust just anyone to-"

"Not like that, Blake," he said, softly. "Not in a fight."

"Then how?"

He cleaned her head for a few seconds before answering with his own question.

"Why did you quit the White Fang?"

She felt her heart stop, and she took a beat to look into his eyes. Why would he know to ask…? "What's… that's not- that's not important-"

"I think it is, Blake. I think it's the most important thing. And you've never trusted anyone with it." He removed the cloth from her head, rinsing the blood off it again. "That first day- that first day we spent time together. Under my tree. You said something. You said- you said I was putting on a brave face for those around me.

" But that's not what I remember most- what I remember most is that you said that you understood- you said that maybe nobody understood it as well as you. I didn't really understand what you meant then, but… I think I do now. Because you've been putting on a brave face since they day I met you, haven't you?"

Her eyes were wide as they stared into his.

"I think there's something- I think there's something you've been putting on a brave face for. I think there's something you've never shared. I think there's something you've never trusted… not with anyone, let alone me."

He put the cloth back on her head. His eyes hadn't met hers in some time, but his voice was calm- it was certain.  
"When I say I trust you," he continued, "I mean I trust you completely. I mean that there is no part of me I would hide from you. No part of my life I wouldn't share. And no question I wouldn't answer… not if you really wanted to know.. But is that how you feel about me, Blake? Is that how you feel about anyone?"

She just kept staring into his eyes intensely, despite the fact that they stayed focused on her wound. How could he possibly…?

"I want to know what you've been putting a brave face on for, Blake. I want to know what burden you've been carrying all this time… so I can help. But I don't want to force you into anything. I don't want you to share with me because you feel you have to, or… whatever other reason there might be. I only want it if you really, and truly, trust me. And if that's not now, I understand. I get that. But you told me something that day too: You told me if there was something- anything- I needed to talk about, you'd be there to listen. I'm making the same offer now. And if it's not now- if it's next week, or next month, or next year, or ten years away- the offer still stands. I'll always be ready to listen. When you really, and fully, trust me."

Removing the cloth from her head, he finally looked back into her eyes. "There's nothing you could have done to make me think any less of you, Blake. Nothing."

There was a pause as they both stared into the other's eyes, until finally, he spoke again.

"Why did you quit the White Fang, Blake?"

Blake stared at him for a few more minutes as he went back to cleaning her head. She was mostly in shock. Nobody, in her whole time at Beacon, had ever guessed any of that about her. It was the reason she felt she needed to correct all the wrong in the world. It was the guilt she carried around with her, always.

Was she ready to talk about this? This was the most defining moment of her life. This was everything, and she had kept it hidden away for so long.

Could she really talk about it? Would Jaune really, and truly, not think of her differently?

No, she thought grimly. Anyone would think of her differently.

Still. Telling Jaune her relatively minor confessions had felt… relieving. Would telling him this…?

"Jaune, I…" She wanted to say more- to let him know all she was thinking- but it was too complicated. Any and all words failed her.

"It's okay, Blake. When you're ready. Tell me when you're ready."

She blinked at him. Would she ever be ready for this? Would she ever truly be comfortable saying it aloud?

Or did she just have to take a chance, and really… trust someone for once?

"Okay," she said, taking the dive. She closed her eyes as he continued to clean her wound. "Okay. I lied."

"You…?"

"I lied, earlier. When I told you- the bookstore burning- when I told you I didn't give into my anger? When I told you all I wanted was for humans to see- see what they were doing?"

"Y- yeah…?"

"I lied. I'm sorry. I told you I wouldn't, but I did... I did give into my anger. I was angry when I joined the White Fang, Jaune. More angry than anything. More angry than I thought possible. Angry enough to do something drastic. Angry enough that I would... that I would do anything." She swallowed- such a large part of herself was dying to push him off, to ignore the question. She could feel her heart pounding.

But she pushed forward. "Angry enough that I was willing to kill."

* * *

 _Author's Notes:_

 _..._

 _-james_


	8. Chapter 8

Ch 8: To Thine Own Self Be True

* * *

Blake and Jaune shared a moment of looking into each other's eyes. It was tense- each one reading the other.

Blake didn't know what Jaune was thinking. He had said there was nothing she could do to make him feel any less of her- and in that moment, she believed him. But in the face of what she'd done… of the things she did… could he really still see her the same way?

"The White Fang," she continued, "started out as a peaceful group. All of our methods were non-violent, all our protests peaceful. The brotherhood of the White Fang wanted change- it wanted change for the better for Faunus everywhere. But the way we achieved equality was important to the original leadership of the group. Violence, they told us, would get us nowhere. Only through protests and other peaceful methods could humans truly learn about… and understand… our plight.

"But to many of us, there didn't seem to be a difference between the two- because peace was getting us nowhere. For every sit in and protest organized by the White Fang, we'd hear word of ten more hate crimes. Ten more laws saying where we could or couldn't go, what we could or couldn't do… how much we could or couldn't be paid.

"They began breaking up the protests more and more aggressively- at first, that just meant more police. Pretty soon they were bringing in people who had- at least something like- hunter training. We'd be standing, and holding signs, and they knew because we wouldn't fight... so there was no reason for them to hold back.

"There were injuries- countless. Children. From batons to fists and… whatever else the cops decided to throw our way. I remember a black eye of mine that wouldn't go away for… for way too long.

"Some of the older members of the White Fang started training us in combat. Never for offense, they said- they had been in battles, and they weren't trying to start a war. But they didn't want us to be defenseless. If we were cornered, they wanted us to be able to defend ourselves. To survive.

"But word got out. The media began to spin it- saying that the White Fang, this 'Terrorist Group', this group of… monsters… was preparing for war. They were teaching children how to kill, they said. Giving them weapons.

"That's when the police breakups of our protests went from bad to worse. Gone were the days of lines of riot shields… suddenly it was robots and guns. It wasn't police we were pushing up against, but tanks. And weapons that towered over us.

"The members of the White Fang began to change too. They're painting us as monsters, some would say- they're painting us as evil. They think we're no better than the Grimm. If that's the case, what difference does acting peaceful make? If nobody knows were acting peaceful, how could it have meaning? How could it have impact? That's when some of us started wearing the masks- becoming the monsters that humans saw us as.

"The White Fang became split. The older leadership wanted us to stay peaceful, and the rest of… us… wanted to rise to the challenge. Didn't want to go down without a fight."

She took a moment to read Jaune's face. But she still couldn't tell what he was thinking.

"I wanted to tell you that as- it's not an excuse, or anything, I just want you to understand… understand what happened. I want you to understand that I did what I did after years of seeing that fire play over in my mind. After years of protests and speeches and signs with nothing to show for it. But, Jaune… when the old leadership stepped down, and the new leadership took over- I was _happy_. Happy that we were finally going to do something. And all that anger sitting in me for years- it…" She trailed off. This was getting harder.

"There was someone I was with before I left the White Fang. I don't know what to call our relationship. He was older, and he taught me most of what I knew about combat, before I came to Beacon. But we were also together, too. We were just partners, in every sense. I loved him, in a lot of ways. And even though everything came second to the revolution he was planning, after years of being alone, he was just the first person I felt like I could… I could…"

She didn't say the word out loud.

"I talked to Adam- that was his name, Adam- about everything I felt- all my anger, and sadness, and everything I wanted to change. I told him about the books and the fire, and how it… how often I thought about it. About the parents I never knew. And he would listen and tell me the humans were to blame, that it would never happen to any Faunus after the revolution, that we'd create a world where no one would ever have to fear something like that. And it felt good to hear that, and I… believed him. I didn't think of how he wanted to accomplish that- I just thought of the perfect utopia at the end of the revolution.

"I had learned the basics of combat, but he brought me to the next level. He trained me rigorously. At first, that just meant practice fights between the two of us. But soon we were out in the field- doing missions for the White Fang. We were beginning to organize more like a military than a political group… and feel more like a cult than a family.

"At first, the missions he brought me on were just destroying weapons and equipment. Just trying to level the playing field. Then we got more bold- missions to interrupt or intercept information.

"It felt good. No… it felt _amazing_. For the first time in _years_ I felt like I was making a difference. And all the frustration that built up in me… I finally felt I was getting a handle on it. I was destroying the tools they used to attack my friends- intercepting information that could stop them from hurting us. They would no longer be able to simply push us aside- they'd have to listen. They'd have to see." She swallowed, and took a moment to look out over the forest outside the cave. She was getting to the hard part. "But it never happened.

"Adam was gaining a following- support from those that were frustrated, too. The talk of Utopia- of the perfect world for Faunus everywhere- the same talk he would comfort me with, at night- he started talking to more members of the White Fang about it. The idea began spreading like wildfire.

"He planned an attack on the police headquarters, which was approved by the leadership. We would hit their armory, he told me- it would give our operations the upper hand in the city. Without any of their weapons, we could seize control. I agreed- and as always, without question, I joined him on the mission.

"Dozens followed us along, bringing along countless supplies- at the time, I thought nothing of it. We hit them at night. Maybe just because the attack was so bold, they never saw it coming. We moved quickly, and quietly, and effectively, as we always did. Stealthily. We moved down from the roof, knocking out those in our way.

"The light was on the chief of police's office door. I had no idea she would be there- but she had become a symbol of everything we were fighting against. So when the door flew open, and she drew her weapons at us- and Adam told me to take her down- I did. Without hesitation. And she was good- but caught off guard, and past her prime. I was fired up and letting my anger take control. It didn't take long for me to break her aura. I held Gambol Shroud's blade against her neck, and brought her over to Adam, shoving her down to her knees in front of him, holding her in pace.

"Adam just smiled. He smiled, and told me that we were never really here to raid the armory. That he had a surprise for me."

Her voice caught at the word surprise, and she brought up a hand to hold the bridge of her nose, forcing herself to stop even the remotest possibility of crying. After a deep breath, she kept going, but couldn't look at Jaune.

"Those other members of the White Fang that joined us began to unpack their supplies- dust. Fuel. Things that would burn, and burn _fast_. They began to spread it around. He told me that we were going to raise the building to the ground. He told me that this would be my revenge for the bookstore, and everything else that the humans had done these last few years. He told me that his revolution would rise from this fire- and that I could be the one to light the spark."

Jaune's eyes were wide. "Blake, you can't mean…"

"I do." She finally looked at him again. "The Vale police burning, five years ago. It was a gift. For me."

From the look on Jaune's face, he remembered the event. It didn't surprise Blake- it was when the White Fang became nationally known as a group of violence. The fire was broadcasted all over the world.

And it had been for her.

She continued. "Adam held out a charge, to use to light it all. He held it out to _me_. He told me to kill the bitch… the police chief… and to start our revolution.

"Time stood still. I could hardly hear the words he was saying. I looked down at the back of her head, of her hair in my hand, of my blade on her neck. I remember seeing blood on it- so red, on the blade- thinking how strange it looked.

"I could feel my…" She squeezed her eyes, taking another breath, forcing away the need to cry. She didn't need to cry. She needed to tell this story. "I could feel my muscles tense, Jaune. I could feel my arms almost make the motion, almost cut her neck. Almost. I was so close, Jaune- so very close to becoming the monster Adam _assumed_ I was. To becoming… exactly like him. To becoming what the White Fang was today.

"But I couldn't. I froze. And blade still to her neck, I just stared into Adam's eyes.

"He got mean, quick. He started to yell- he started to tell me to just to _do_ it. That he had worked so hard to set up everything up for _us._ For a world where the two of us could live in peace, never in fear again. And all I had to do was kill this one human, and light one little spark.

"He told me there would never be equality- there had never been equality between our species since the beginning of time _._ Not between any species, ever. If someone had to be on top, why couldn't it be the Faunus? That's what he wanted: a perfect world where Faunus _ruled_. And I finally saw equality was never his game. Revenge was."

She paused, taking a third deep breath. "I was horrified. Horrified at what I'd help build, of the things I'd help do. Of how easy it was for me to attack this woman I knew nothing about- of how close I was to killing her. And how the one person on earth I trusted _assumed_ that murder and arson would make me so happy that he… he _surprised_ me with it."

"I told him, no- I told him this wasn't what I wanted. I told him I wanted equality, and he told me I didn't know what I wanted. That I would be happy in his new world. I begged him… not as a fellow member of the White Fang, but as the one he had spent countless nights with… I begged him to stop all this. He had the power, it was his operation, he could tell them all to stop, but he… drew his sword on me.

"He called me ungrateful, after all he had done for me. He wanted to know how I could betray him like this. After all the work he had put in. And I finally saw what it was- what our relationship was. Why I had such a hard time describing it. I was just a thing to him. A tool. He had spent countless nights twisting up my anger and making me promises because… because he could use me to further his own goals. He had used that love I had for him to twist me into something I wasn't.

"A weapon for him to use by day… and something to fuck at night."

Even she was surprised by the venom in her voice.

"I tried to fight him. I tried to save her, but I was no match for him. He pushed me out of the way sliced through her neck without even looking- without even thinking about it.

"I tried to go back for those I'd knocked out- knowing they'd get caught in the fire. But he was faster and stronger. And he caught me, and he… said some things. His mask had fallen off, and I had never seen his eyes look like that before, he looked so disappointed… he dragged me over to the wall and threw me out a window. I don't know how many stories I fell, but I landed hard. When I tried to get back up, and make my way into the building, they… he… had already started the fire. I was helpless. Too injured to help anyone up there. Too afraid to face him again.

"So I ran."

Another silence between them. Blake felt tense- should couldn't help it. It was the first time she'd ever told the story. It was the first time she'd ever even _thought_ about telling the story. And she had no idea what Jaune was thinking.

He was sitting still, studying her carefully. His eyes weren't shocked or horrified, or any of the things she was expecting- it's like they were just trying to figure her out.

He finally opened his mouth. "Is that why you became a hunter?" He asked quietly.

"Yeah."

"When you would talk about why you came to Beacon- when you would talk about fixing all the bad things in the world- righting all the wrongs- this is what you were thinking of, isn't it?"

"Yeah."

He looked cautious as he asked his next question. "Do you blame… yourself for the attack?"

She looked out at the forest, again. "Yes."

"Blake-"

"Look, I know what you're about to say. I know the arguments, because I've been telling myself them over, and over, and over again for years now. That even if I hadn't been there, Adam would have attacked someplace like the police station. That even if I had died on the streets before ever hearing about the White Fang, it still would have become the violent group we knew today. But thinking something and _feeling_ something are different. The guys I knocked out died in that fire, Jaune. I was the last thing they saw, like… an angel of death."

"We knock out our opponents all the time, Blake- we have to, on missions. You were just doing what I thought was right-"

"No I _wasn't_ Jaune!" She found heat in her voice again. "I knew it was wrong. I knew it was wrong, but I knew it might get me the world I've always wanted to live in, so I pushed those feelings aside. And on the rare occasion we actually have to go toe-to-toe with an actual person, they're criminals. Not police, just doing their jobs."

"Which apparently included beating up children."

She laughed at him sadly. "Don't paint them like that, Jaune. I know what you're doing- because I did it for years. You're trying to rationalize it. You're trying to make it seem like they deserved it. Some of the cops were crooked, but these guys were at their desks during the night shift. You think these were the bad ones? No, these were the guys trying to make ends meet."

"I'm not saying they deserved it, Blake! But I'm saying I understand why you'd want to take _weapons_ away from them- why you'd want to raid the armory-"

"And because of my choice, all of those people are dead."

Jaune's eyebrows came together. "Blake, you can't seriously blame yourself for all-"

"I can, Jaune. I know why you think I can't- I know what you think I shouldn't- but you didn't do it. You don't know what it's like to hold someone's hair, shoving their neck against your blade."

"You're not a monster, Blake. You weren't doing any of that for your own gain or pleasure- you were doing it to better the lives of your friends, of your family- you were doing it to protect people."

"Murder doesn't protect anyone. It just causes more violence."

"You didn't murder them! It was never your intention for them to-"

"My _intentions_ hardly matter, Jaune! They're still dead!" She looked away again, her voice bitter. "You don't understand. I don't know why I'm telling you any of this."

"I do."

"No, you don't, Jaune."

"Yes I do."

"Yeah?" She said, rolling her eyes. She found herself totally annoyed by Jaune in that moment. "You think you know me so well?"

"Yeah."

"You don't know anything about me."

"I know _everything_ about you."

"Just because I've told you some stories-"

He looked at her incredulously. "What, you're telling me- those memories were meaningless to you?"

"No," she replied, "I'm telling you that hearing me talk about a few points in my life doesn't actually mean you _understand_ me, Jaune."

"I do, Blake. I did. Now suddenly you're closing up to me again."

She clenched her jaw. "Whatever."

"Come on, Blake," he said softly. "Don't push me away."

"Push you away?!" She laughed at him. "We hardly know each other, Jaune! We've just been _stuck_ together for a couple days! How could I possibly be pushing you away?"

"Don't be like that."

"Like _what_."

"That's all this was, for you? All these talks- all of that, was just because we happened to be in close proximity?"

"Yeah, Jaune," she said, her tone dismissive and condescending. "Why, did you think I was falling in love with you or something?"

Blake looked away. That was too far- she hadn't meant that to say that. It's not as though she had been falling in love with him- it was just, the way she had just phrased it, she had made the notion sound absurd. As if nobody could fall in love with Jaune.

But she didn't look at him. This relationship- whatever it was- was falling apart, fast. But she didn't need anyone. She didn't need Jaune.

"No. I didn't," he said, his voice quiet but intense. "But you're right. You're not pushing me away. You're _running_ away."

"I'm not running from anything. I told you everything you wanted to hear."

"You did, Blake. You did because you finally figured out that you trust me- you completely trust me- and that is _terrifying_ you right now."

"I'm certainly not scared of you, Jaune."

"No, you're scared of trusting anyone."

"That doesn't make any sense!"

"Yes it does. Because it's not guilt, is it? That's not what eats at you. That's not what keeps you up at night."

"God, Jaune, _shut up_."

"No, Blake, I won't. I won't until you hear it."

"Hear it? Hear _what_?"

"What you've needed to hear for five years."

Her hands clenched in fists on the ground. "Jaune, whatever you think I need to-"

His voice was quiet but sure. "You're not him." She opened her mouth, ready to attack again, but he didn't let her. "You're not _him_ , Blake. You could never be him." There was a pause as they looked at each other. "You think I don't know you- and you're right, a few days ago I would have agreed. But this time together has been- something special, and I really think I get you. I think you get me too. And you can do whatever you want after I say what I need to say- you can attack me, or run, or never talk to me again. But I have to say it. Because while I believe that you feel guilty about that attack- even though I think you shouldn't- that's not really what keeps you up at night.

"It's fear. You're not scared of Adam- nor anyone else. But you're scared of _becoming_ Adam. You're scared of how close you were. You're scared of how easily it came to you. You're scared that the one person you've ever remotely trusted in your life- the one person who you loved- thought it was so obvious that you'd want to murder every human you could, he was going to do it as a gift. It seemed obvious to someone you trusted so deeply, so you're scared- you're worried he was _right._ That's what it is, isn't it?"

"Shut _up_ , Jaune," she said, her voice softer.

"That's not you. That's not you, and that can't be you. Not in any way, shape or form. You're not him."

"Jaune-"

"Listen to what I'm saying, Blake. Forget everything else. You're _not him_. He used you like a tool, Blake. Like a thing. I don't even think you're _capable_ of doing that to someone else. You ran out here, in the woods, to find me- not even a teammates of yours- to help me. You've saved my life- by risking yours- countless times. You aren't some murderer who would do anything to further her own goals. You'd never use another person like that. _Never_."

She looked down at her hands, her vision blurry. "I was so close, Jaune- I saw the blood on the blade, the blood from her neck- I was so _close…_ "

"You've been telling me this whole trip that I can't see the real me. Well, I'm telling you the same now, Blake. This fear that you have- this worry of this person you almost became- this angel of death? It was never even close, Blake. I'm not saying that in our line of work we won't have to make hard choices- that some day we might have to take someone bad down for good. But murder in cold blood- Blake, you could never be that person. You could never be him. You're _not him_. You see the difference as an inch, or as just… the pull of a muscle. But it's not, Blake. It's core to you. You want to make the world a better place for _everyone_. He wants power for revenge. You're not _him._ "

She was quiet for a while, still looking down at her hands. When she spoke, her voice was quivering. "How do you know?"

A hand reached out, gently wiping a single tear from her below eye with the cloth. "Because I know you. Trust me, Blake. Because I'm not him, either."

She looked up at him at that.

"I'm not him," he continued. "Maybe I can't see who I really am- what I really am- but there's one thing I know about myself, right now. That I'd die before I'd let anyone hurt you like that again. I'd die before I let anyone use you like that again."

There was something strange in the way he said that, something in the spark of his eye. From anyone else, it would sound like a lie- something that someone would say to feel more noble. But from Jaune, knowing the way he was, it sounded like nothing but the truth. He made it sound more like a compulsion that anything else- as if he would physically unable to stand by and do nothing if she was at risk. As if he'd throw his life away at even a chance at saving her from that again.

Blake knew she didn't need him. Blake knew she could do fine on her own. But it felt good anyway. To hear it- to know that. To really, and truly believe it.

To trust him. And to finally understand what the word meant.

And even though part of Blake hated herself for it, she felt the tears she'd been holding back for years- tears for the bookstore, and for the police station, and for Adam, and for herself- flow out. One of her hands automatically came up to her mouth, trying to cover a silent sob. But suddenly Jaune was embracing her- so she let herself quietly cry.

She didn't fight it for the first time she could remember. Why bother? Why hide tears from Jaune, who she now trusted with anything? With everything?

Her body shook gently, her arms limp at her side as Jaune held her as if she were the most important thing in the world. Maybe, at that moment, to him, she was. She buried her face in his shoulder.

He finally let her go when she stopped, and they looked back and forth at one another again. "Jaune, I'm- I'm sorry, I didn't mean to-"

"It's okay, Blake."

"No, when I said-"

"Blake, it's fine."

She shook her head. "Jaune, I need to-"

"Blake, it doesn't matter. You have nothing to apologize for."

They looked at each other.

She sniffed, her nose runny from the tears. She smiled as she wiped a tear away. "If you tell anyone back home I cried, I'll kill you."

He smiled back at her. "Hey, I thought we agreed that murder gets you nowhere?"

"I'll take my chances."

There was a pause before they laughed again.

"So much for a bed tonight," said Jaune, looking around at their cave.

"Yeah, well, after today, I could sleep on anything."

"Good. Because your only option is... rocks." He looked at her awkwardly. "There's just one more thing we have to take care of, and then you can sleep, I promise."

She looked at him. "What?"

He pulled out a bottle of antiseptic from their pack and she groaned. "Jaune, I don't…"

"Yes you do."

"Is there _anything_ I can do to make you wait until tomorrow to do that?"

"To clean a _head wound?_ No."

She sighed. "Fine. Just make it fast, Nurse."

"I'll be done before you know it. And it's Doctor."

He applied the liquid to the cloth, and gently cleaned the wound- though it stung, he was always careful as he worked.

It gave her an opportunity to study him again, while his eyes were preoccupied. To really look at him. To think about this guy who, though a few days ago she would hardly have called him a friend, she now trusted with anything.

"It's clean," he said, shifting his body until he was sitting with his back to the wall next to hers. "Clean enough. As soon as we get back to Beacon, though. You're going straight to the _real_ nurse."

His job finally done, she could hear him start to drift off, sleepy after all he had done.

"Are you going to sleep?" She asked him.

"I'd say we should keep watch, but I don't…" He cut himself off with a yawn. "I don't think either of us could stay awake after all that."

She nodded sleepily, his yawn spreading to her.

She had never felt so exhausted in her whole life- but she couldn't fall asleep yet. There was one last thing she had to do. One last right she had to wrong. Just one last thing before she could sleep.

"Jaune?" She asked, after a few minutes. "Jaune, are you awake?"

He didn't respond. He was clearly in a deep sleep, despite the fact that he still sat against the cave wall. His head rested against the cave and his breathing was steady and deep.

"Jaune," she said, quietly, as to not wake him. "I'm sorry. I told another lie. This is the last one, I promise. I'll never lie to you again. I mean I'll... I'll try not to. Because I think I…"

She watched him sleep for a moment, the words feeling uncertain on her tongue.

"I think I _am_ falling in love with you."

* * *

 _Author's notes:_

 _Aw._

 _First off: Thank you for my birthday wishes two weeks ago. You are all very nice._

 _Second: It sounds like we MIGHT be having an artist take a look at creating a cover. Nothing 100%, but there's a chance, if they have some free time._

 _And if not, hey- the big white L ain't so bad!_

 _Lastly, if anyone wants to chat, I can be found- very often- on /r/RWBY's discord server. I tried to put a link here, but FF won't let me. I'm sure you're clever enough to figure it out, if you want to chat! Look for #fanfiction-corner to talk!_

 _-Jimmy Locks_


	9. Chapter 9

Chapter 9: Farewell

* * *

When Blake woke up, she had two realizations.

One: she'd never slept so deeply in her whole life. Despite spending the night on stone, and the fact that it was cold without the sleeping bag, her exhaustion from the day before put her in such a state that she could do nothing but sleep incredibly deeply.

Two: Her comfort might be due to the fact that she was sleeping against Jaune.

Her head rested against his shoulder, she realized with a start. And her body was nestled close to his. His head rested on the top of hers, his cheek gently pressed against one of her ears in her bow. Though she couldn't see him, from the sound of his breathing, he was still dead asleep.

It made sense, really... sleeping sitting against the cold stone, she probably- subconsciously- moved closer to him for warmth and comfort. It was no different- no more intimate- than their nights in the sleeping bag had been. Between the cave sheltering them from the winds, actually having her jacket, and simple body heat, it actually wasn't all that cold.

She was trapped, in a way- she couldn't move without waking him up, and then they would have to start the day. They'd have to head back to Beacon, and probably never share any physical contact again.

Maybe they'd go back to the way things were. Only talking a few times a year.

She pushed off the thought that was horrifying for reasons that she didn't want to think about too much- reasons that probably had to do with what she said before she fell asleep.

She felt her face blush as she remembered what she'd said. Her confession of love, or whatever it was. It hardly felt real- the memory, probably due to her exhaustion, seemed more like a dream than something that had actually happened.

She was just tired, she told herself- tired and finally able to trust someone. Finally really able to understand what trusting someone meant. So she had confused herself- thinking she was starting to have... feelings for Jaune, when really, she had just made a close friend. She'd just... formed a unique connection.

Right?

Blake was a very certain person- if she thought about a question, she could almost always come up with an answer. So the fact that she was unclear of where she stood on the matter of Jaune was a little disconcerting for her.

Still, in their last moment of contact, was it worth overthinking? Was it worth figuring out the 'why' of it- or did it make more sense to simply enjoy it? No matter what Jaune was to her, she trusted him, and it felt nice to be against him. And in that moment, that's all that really mattered.

She gave into this idea, and relaxed against him, looking out over the trees. The sun was already high in the sky, and her view of the forest was rather breathtaking. Her sensitive ears- even though one was covered by Jaune's cheek- could easily pick up the sounds of birds in the distance. And no Grimm could be heard at all.

It was nice. Relaxing. And after their chase through the woods, Blake felt as though she could stay here forever.

Almost to her dismay, she felt Jaune stirr and yawn, finally waking up.

His head snapped up when he realized their position. "Ah, uh... sorry, was I...?"

"Yeah, you were leaning on me." She lifted her head up and looked at him. "But considering my head was on your shoulder, I think I started it."

"Ah," he said with a smile, adopting a mock arrogant tone, "Well, that makes sense- I've been told my shoulder is very comfy. Pillow-like, even."

"Oh?" She said, returning the smile. "How's the top of my head?"

He looked thoughtful. "Very thick," he said, finally.

She playfully punched his thigh.

He laughed. "Hey, whoa, is that any way to treat your nurse?"

"So you've finally given in to your title, huh?"

"You can call me whatever you like if you promise not to punch me again. I'm a delicate guy!"

She chuckled. Jaune never presented himself a tough guy, by any means- but considering his unshakable defense, the idea of him being delicate was absurd.

They both fell into an easy silence, looking out over the forest, simply enjoying the view. She had a strange realization that, even though she had lifted her head, her body was still tucked closed to his. This didn't seem to affect him one way other the other- he was content to just look out over the forest and share a needed moment of peace.

"It's not so bad out here," he said after some time of appreciating the view. His voice was quiet. "So long as Grimm aren't chasing you around."

She turned her head, looking back at him. "We could stay out here," she said. Her tone was joking, but she found strange truth in her request.

He laughed, still looking out over the forest, his eyes shining as they always did when he was happy. "After these past few days, you want to stay out here? With the Grimm, and the cold? Sleeping on stone and dirt?"

There was a beat. "It wasn't all bad, was it?" She asked, her voice quiet and serious. She had no idea what she was looking for in an answer to that question- maybe it was just that she needed to hear, needed to know, that the meaning she found these last few days wasn't one sided. That he felt something usual, at least, between them too. Something significant.

She needed to know that going back to Beacon wouldn't mean going back to they way they were. Back to being acquaintances. Friends of friends.

Almost strangers.

His head turned, eyes locking with hers, full of sudden concern at the shift in her tone. "No," he said, certainly and truthfully. "No, it wasn't."

She kept looking into his eyes, looking for an answer to the questions she hadn't really asked. Looking for some sign that this was important to him. But that was the problem with Jaune- he connected so easily, trusted so readily, who knew if this time- these discoveries of trust, this sharing of herself- held any significance at all.

Was she just another friend who had opened up to him? Was this a regular occurrence for him?

"Blake," he started carefully, "What's on your mind?"

She looked at him a moment, chewing on her lip. In a lot of ways, her newfound trust in Jaune was a little scary. She trusted him completely to be honest with her if she asked him any question- but it was the answer she was afraid of.

And she still wasn't even sure why she was afraid of it. She didn't need anyone, she reminded herself- she certainly didn't need Jaune. It shouldn't matter if he considered her just another friend, or even a friend of a friend.

But still the question was on her mind. And he had asked her... and she didn't feel the need to hide anything from him anymore.

"I'm wondering what's going to happen to us once we get back to Beacon," she finally answered.

He looked at her strangely. "When we get back…? Well, first, we're getting you to the nurse, to get that wound checked and cl-"

"No, Jaune. Not like that. I mean... what happens to us?"

"To… us?"

"Yeah."

He studied her. "I don't think I understand, we-"

"Jaune, I mean…" she hesitated with the exact phrasing. "Do things go back to the way things were, or…?"

"Oh." She could see his realization. "Oh, you mean like…"

"Talking, you know, once every-"

"Okay, I understand. No."

She blinked at the speed and certainty with which he said that. "N… no?"

"Yeah. No way. I mean, not unless you really want to."

"Do _you_ want to? Go back?"

"No, of course not. Not to mention… I'm not even sure we could."

"Why not?"

He shot her a look. "It kind of sounds like you want to go back, Blake."

She looked away from him. "No, I don't mean- not like that..."

"Then what are you asking, here?"

"I just mean to ask- why don't you think we couldn't go back?" She looked back at him. "What's changed? What's different, for you?"

"Between us?"

"Yeah."

"We... got closer."

Another beat of looking at one another. "That's it?"

"No."

"So…"

This time he broke eye contact, looking out thoughtfully. After a moment he gently shook his head. "I don't really know, Blake. It's hard to describe. We've talked about stuff out here that I've never said to anyone. And I… as strange as it sounds, I really feel like I get you. Or I feel connected to you, or… maybe the easiest thing to say, the thing I'm most sure of, is that talking has never felt like this before. I've never felt like I could… really just say whatever. Say what I'm feeling, talk about things I've never voiced before. Even if it was just… just for the record, just saying the thoughts out loud, it felt right. And I don't want to give that up, you know? Because it felt really good to do that. It felt right. So when we go back to Beacon…" He looked back at her. "I don't think I _could_ go back to the way things were. Or, I really, _really_ wouldn't like it, I guess."

She smiled, and she felt complete relief. That's what she needed to hear.

"What about you?" He asked.

She looked out thoughtfully for a beat, before standing up. Turning around, she offered a hand down to him, and gave her reply with humor in her voice. "Same."

He laughed. "That's all I get? Same?"

"Yep."

He took her hand and she pulled him up to standing. "So," he continued, his eyes sparkling, "I guess you like talking to me, too?

"Yep."

He laughed again, standing close to her. "For someone who is _supposed_ to like talking to me, you sure love one word answers."

She looked thoughtful before answering. "True."

"So, are you ready to head back, then?"

She gave him a small smile and nodded.

"Then I'll need this back," he said, gently shaking his hand as it hung at their side. She realized, as her hand shook with it, that she still held it from when she helped him up.

"Oh- uh- Jaune, I-"

"Relax, Blake. We've been in constant contact for days. What's a little hand holding at this point?"

They both looked at each other for a moment, and both laughed gently at the role reversal. She released his hand- and realized that it was the end of their physical contact... probably forever.

And she couldn't help but be a little sad.

Still, she found comfort in the fact that he wasn't willing to give up what they had discovered between them- whatever it was. That it wouldn't just regress back. So she found herself smiling at him once again.

He slung the last of their supplies over his back. "Ready?"

She nodded at him. "Let's go home."

* * *

Their journey to Beacon was uneventful. The tower in the distance left no question if they were heading in the right direction- and though they had moved carefully, no Grimm had showed itself. The journey had taken them most of the day- and they had continued to talk and joke and… yes, flirt... the whole way.

There was an enormous amount of relief shared between the two of them as they passed through the gates. They glanced at each other- both exhausted in every way imaginable, and looking worse for the wear. But they shared a moment of smiling at one another- a strange sense of accomplishment washing over them. The feeling of a hard journey completed.

Now that they were finally home, Blake wanted to find their friends immediately- to find anyone on their teams. Their scrolls had run out of power, and she wanted to let them know they were safe.

Jaune, however, insisted they go to the medical center first. As soon as her head was bandaged, he said- then they could find their friends. As soon as they made sure she was okay.

She relented, and they headed over to the medical center. When the staff there saw her wound, they brought her into one of the private rooms immediately. Jaune followed her in, and nobody seemed to question him being there. He mostly stayed in the corner, keeping Blake company, and charging his scroll so he could reach out to everyone. They had her lay on one of their beds and checked her head, cleaning it more thoroughly than Jaune could in the field.

Blake wished it was Jaune's gentle hands, and not their rough scrubbing and bandaging, but she was glad he was there with her.

They checked her for anything more serious- after all, a blow to the head could have more consequences than a gash. But after doing a few simple tests, they concluded she was fine- and the cut, while not insignificant, most likely would not scar.

The nurse gave her instructions for cleaning and replacing the bandage. But seemingly as quickly as they had rushed her in, the staff there rushed away. They, after all, had other students to worry about- there were many injuries at a combat school. Despite the miracle of Aura, accidents happened.

It left the two of them alone in the room for just a moment before there was a knock on the door.

"Come in," came Blake's tired voice.

She had expected- or hoped- that it would be one of their friends, but to her surprise, Ozpin's face greeted them as the door swung open.

"Miss Belladonna, Mr. Arc," he greeted them from outside the door. "Do you mind if I join you?"

"Of course not, professor," said Blake.

He carried with him the two items he was never seen without- the cane he always walked with, and his cup of coffee. He walked gracefully into the room, before closing the door behind him, and turning towards them both.

"How are you feeling, Miss Belladonna?" He asked with genuine concern.

"I'm fine, thank you, Professor. Just a cut on my head."

"And you, Mr. Arc? I couldn't help but notice both of you missed some classes these last few days. When I heard you had shown up at the medical center, I thought I'd come see you myself."

There was always some strange inflection to the way Ozpin talked, as if he already knew everything you were trying to hide. As if he already knew the answer to any question he presented to you- he just wanted to hear how you answered. His appearance had, as it always did, the feeling of omnipotence, as if he had been planning to show up here for years, and the time had finally come.

"I feel fine, thank you," replied Jaune, a touch of iciness to his tone. The fact that Ozpin knew about Jaune's semblance before Jaune discovered it clearly weighed on his mind.

"Good, I'm glad to hear it." He put his coffee down on a nearby counter, and leaned against the wall, holding his cane gently at his side. "I might ask why you both are covered in dirt- why you carry with you minimal survival supplies- and that might lead me to ask where you've been these last couple days. But I think we all know these questions are best left unanswered- and I'd simply remind you that unauthorized exit of the school's grounds can be punishable by expulsion. Especially if you went into danger- especially if you went alone."

"Of course, Professor," replied Blake coolly. "We were just training, and lost track of time."

Ozpin's eyes were amused. "Lost track of time?"

"Yes, Professor," she said, letting a bit of humor slide into her voice.

"Well, I'll try to help your professors understand. But though I am glad to see you both unharmed, that is not why I am here. Nor am I here because of what you did or did not do. I am here because of _why_ you did it." Ozpin turned towards Jaune, eyes focusing in on him. "And that subject we must be straightforward."

There was a tense beat as Ozpin waited. Jaune held his gaze.

"I know what I am, professor," said Jaune, his voice hard. "I know my semblance."

"Good. And from your tone, it sounds like you know I knew, don't you?"

Jaune's jaw was clenched, but he simply nodded.

"And Miss Belladonna- I assume that means you know as well?"

"Yes," she replied simply.

"Anyone else?"

"Why?" Asked Jaune, his frustration starting to show. "What does that matter? What really matters is why you knew, Professor- why you knew and never told me."

"This is important, Jaune," said Ozpin, his voice unchanging.

"Pyrrha," answered Blake, softly. "Pyrrha knows."

"Anyone else?"

"No," replied Jaune.

Ozpin nodded. "Then let's start with my apology, Jaune- an apology that has been three years in the making now. Because the truth is, I figured out your semblance the moment I met you."

Jaune was shocked. "What?"

"I will put modesty aside for a moment and simply say that there are very few people on earth as capable as I am in sensing and understanding aura. I mention this to help you understand how I knew, when I first saw you, you were supplying aura to those around you. But I also say it to impress upon you... that when I admit I don't really understand what your semblance is or how it truly works... you'll understand the significance of that statement.

"Aura is the physical manifestation of your soul's power, Jaune. As is semblance. One's own aura should be something so unique to themselves- so complex and personal- that it should be impossible to recreate. And yet I stumble upon you- someone who does it seemingly by accident."

"But why the secrecy, Professor?" Asked Blake. "Why hide it from him?"

"Because while I suspect you have discovered some ways in which your power is dangerous- you haven't really discovered it's true danger yet."

"What danger?" Asked Jaune.

"Do you know the historical examples of those with a Bestower ability, Jaune?"

"No."

"These stories come mostly from myth and legend- so little is known about what you can do and how it works, that many think it an impossibility. But each of the stories ends the same. All of them, whether they be leaders, or warlords, or healers- they all die an early death."

There was a pause as he let Jaune register what he said.

"Jaune, your tactical ability on the battlefield has grown immensely these last years. Tell me- if you knew a Bestower was on a- say, team of four facing against you- what would you do?"

There was another tense pause as Jaune looked at Ozpin. "I'd take them out first."

"Of course. Now let's say you're on a battlefield of hundreds- and you know there's just one Bestower among them. What do you do?"

"I'd... take them out first."

"Right. But let's not pretend this world is so black and white- I think everyone in this room knows it is not. We know not every battle is fought with weapons. Let's pretend you knew just one Bestower was around- someone who could enhance the power of many. That there was even a chance that they would face you. What do you do?"

"I'd take them out," repeated Jaune grimmly.

"No," came Blake's voice, realizing. "You wouldn't."

They both looked at her.

"Go on," said Ozpin.

"You wouldn't take them out," she continued. "You'd do anything- _anything_ \- to use them. To turn them to your side. If they covet power- and almost everyone does in this situation- they won't try to kill you. They'll try to manipulate you." She turned towards Jaune. "You're the physical embodiment of power, Jaune. The kind that anyone can use. So long as you _choose_ to do it, you can make anyone stronger. So the question isn't how to take you out, Jaune. It's how to _control_ you."

"Therein lies the true danger of your power, Jaune," said Ozpin. "Those historical examples I mentioned- it's the fortunate ones who died on the battlefield. Some others- well, they were twisted and manipulated and forced- their family and loved ones threatened- until they came under control. Until their power was under control.

"There lies the necessity for secrecy, Jaune. Because you are a trove of power that _anyone_ can use- but only if you choose to. And some people will stop at nothing to be able to control that choice."

"But why not just tell me, Professor? Why not tell me- and I could keep it secret?"

"Because you are too trusting, Mr. Arc. And you would have told your team years ago."

Jaune's fist clenched at his side. "They would have kept it secret, for me." He didn't deny the fact that he would have told them- he knew himself too well to do that.

"Oh?" Said Ozpin. "And on the matter of- say, the content of Miss Belladonna's bow- a matter she wished to keep private- how careful were you about keeping that secret? Or did that spread among your friends, upon first discovery?"

Jaune's face flushed.

Blake's eyes snapped to Ozpin, angry he would use that as an argument. "Everyone who learned about what I am, I trusted with my life. And still do."

"I do not doubt it. However, while your secret may have had danger in its own way... it is not quite at this level."

There was silence in the room. When Ozpin continued, his voice was more serious, and Blake could hear regret in his voice.

"Mr. Arc… I am deeply sorry that I kept this from you. I also never intended for you to discover it this way- I had plans to tell you myself, when the time was right. But truthfully- I may have faltered, and waited too long. And that's my fault. You see, a long time ago, when I was a much younger man teaching at this school, I came upon a student somewhat like you."

"Another Bestower?" Asked Jaune, hopeful. Someone who could train him, teach him more about his semblance.

"Not quite. But not too different, either. I trained him myself- but I made some foolish mistakes. I kept him separated from his class- until he could control his semblance. He grew to spite me, and those around him, and- I did not want to repeat that mistake. I wanted you to have a normal experience at my school, Mr. Arc. I'm sorry I felt the need to keep your power from you- and I'm sorry that it gave you a disadvantage at times.

"But I promise you, everything I did was keeping your best interest at heart."

Another silence. Finally, Jaune sighed. "All right. I understand, Professor."

"Do you? I want to be absolutely clear, here. You should, under no circumstances, tell anyone about your abilities. Someday, Mr. Arc, it will come out- that is inevitable. But until that is forced upon you, you should not rush it. You should try to be a normal student at my school. As normal a student as you can be now."

Jaune simply nodded at him.

"The same goes for you, Miss Belladonna. Perhaps more so."

"I won't do anything to risk Jaune's safety."

Ozpin looked at her seriously. "I don't doubt that." He picked up his cane and coffee again. "You'll have an extra class added to your schedule, Mr. Arc. Training specific to your abilities. But for now, I highly recommend getting some rest." He opened the door, and looked over his shoulder. "Oh, and you'll pass on what I've said here to Miss Nikos, I trust?"

They both nodded at him.

"Good. Feel better, both of you."

And with that, he turned the corner and was gone.

* * *

Blake and Jaune were quiet as they exited the building, Ozpin's words weighing on them.

Blake studied Jaune as they walked, watching his expressive eyes carefully. Just like that first day as he looked out over the horizon under his tree, they were intense and thoughtful.

"You want to talk about that? What just happened?" She asked him.

He looked at her, eyes unchanging, before he sighed. "No. Let's just… get home."

"Okay. I'm here if you need me."

"I know. It's just- I don't know. I don't even know what I'm thinking yet." They walked a little while longer before he sighed again. "Okay, I sort of know. This semblance is a curse."

"Jaune-"

"No, it is. It really, and truly, is. All I've ever wanted, Blake- all I've ever wanted ever was to be able to help people. To help my friends. And to have the power to do that. At first I was hopeful about this semblance, but all it is- all it does- is put everyone around me in _danger_. I almost killed you. And now, I have to keep it a secret from everyone, just because knowing that I am… what I am… puts everyone in danger. What kind of power is that? Who would want this? It's just one more way I'm a burden."

"You're not-"

"Blake, come on."

"You're not a burden, Jaune! And though your powers are dangerous, that's only because they are so _unique_. Your semblance has the ability to change the tide of battle, or save people's lives. More so than any other semblance I can think of." She stopped, looking at him, forcing him to stop walking and look back. "I'm not pretending like this doesn't suck. Having to keep it secret, having to worry about it those around you. But it's not all bad. And whatever comes our way- no matter what it is- we'll figure it out together. Okay?"

His eyes lightened, and he nodded. "Okay." He laughed sadly. "All right. I-" His scroll, charged from their time at the medical center, buzzed, interrupting them. He looked down at it "Oh, it's Pyrrha!" He picked up. "Pyrrha? Pyrrha, I am so sorry I ran off like that. It was just me being a coward- I didn't want to hurt anybody else, and-"

Jaune's face froze, his eyes serious. Blake couldn't hear what Pyrrha was saying- could she really be that mad at him?

"What-" he started, but stopped. His eyes were back to their intense and focused state. "No." They widened. "Yes."

Blake couldn't tell what was happening- why he looked so shocked.

There was a pause, and he closed his eyes, his voice uneasy. "Yes."

After a few more seconds, he slowly removed the scroll from his face.

"Jaune, what the hell was-"

"Nothing, Blake."

"Jaune- what did she say?"

"Nothing, Blake- I… I gotta go."

"Jaune?"

"I'm sorry, Blake I- just need some time to myself, I just need to- I'll talk to you later."

He began to walk away. What on earth was that? Why did he suddenly close off to her, after all they had been through?

Was this what it was going to be like, now that they were back? Was all that talk of trust for nothing?

What the hell was that phone call?

* * *

"Pyrrha?" Came the singsong voice. "It's time to wake up."

Pyrrha felt awful. Or good. Or something. It was hard to describe- she felt dizzy and happy and horrified all at the same time.

Mostly dizzy though. She forced her eyes open, looking for the source of the voice.

"Ahh, there we are. How are we feeling today?"

Why was it so hard to focus? Who was talking?

Why were her hands tied?

"Oof. You don't look so good."

"Where-" she started, but found it hard to hear her own voice. "Where am I?"

"Why, you're staying in my hotel, dear! Chateau de Roman, we'll call it. Has a nice ring, don't you think?"

Roman?

She tensed up trying harder to focus. Roman was the one talking? She tried to move her arms, but found she couldn't. They were tied down. Was she tied to a chair?

Why was it so hard to focus?

"What- what's happening to me?"

"What, you don't remember? You and I had a big battle, and I bested you in one-on-one combat. Really, it was a fight for the record books." He paused. "Okay, no, that didn't happen. I drugged you."

"What?!"

"Yeah, well, jeez, you and I have crossed paths a few times and I wasn't sure I wanted _that_ to happen again. And, see… I needed you to help me out with something, and… well, I didn't think you'd go for it. So I slipped you a little something to make you more comfortable."

"This is…"

"Yep. Drugs, missy. Strong ones, too. They're wearing off a little bit by now, but don't worry. We'll re-administer soon."

She tugged at her restraints, finally focusing enough to be able to look around her. She sat in a makeshift cage, and sitting in it with her was Roman. He sat backwards in a chair, looking at her with mischief in her eyes.

"What do you think of your room? I hope you appreciate it. It was really very hard to put together a cage made without a single bit of metal in such a short time."

"This is… low even for you... Roman..."

"Yeah, you're right. Kidnapping, drugging? It all has such a taste of _classlessness_ , I agree. But, unfortunately my dear, sometimes the prize is worth the price. And you, I think, have stumbled upon the ultimate prize."

"What do you… want from me…?"

"From you? Nothing. Well, not much. Not yet, anyway. For now, just your voice." He walked over and reached into her pocket, pulling out her scroll. "Do you know how many people at your school have an unknown semblance? Twelve! Twelve in the whole school. God knows how they all got in. I thought that would make figuring it out pretty hard, until I realized my luck! One of them was your partner!"

"You want…"

He pressed a few buttons on the scroll, and started a call.

"You ready to talk, Pyrrha?" He asked, not really looking for an answer.

She was confused. It was so hard to think with these drugs in her system.

Roman placed the phone to her ear. "Pyrrha?" Came Jaune's voice through the scroll.

"Jaune...?"

"Pyrrha, I am so sorry I ran off like that. It was just…" Roman pulled the scroll away from her ear, putting it to his own, listening to Jaune ramble.

"Jaune, let me stop you there. She forgives you! All is well."

A pause, before he continued, his voice suddenly losing all of its light quality, becoming low, even and serious.

"Not another word, unless it's an answer to one of my questions, or she dies. Are you alone? Too bad. Keep your answers short, and if I even _think_ you're hinting at what we're talking about, or if I even _suspect_ you're lying to me, I'll kill her. Got it?

"Good. You're the Bestower, aren't you?"

There was a pause. Roman smiled. "Excellent. Then you and I will have to meet up very soon. Expect further instructions. And I'll be sending along a picture, just so you know I'm not bluffing. And let me be clear, my boy: if you tell anyone about this, I'll kill her. Don't be a coward. I have my ways of knowing." He hung up, and turned the scroll towards her. "Smile!" It made a snapping noise as he took her picture.

Pyrrha had enough understanding to finally realize what was happening. And all the rage at being used to control Jaune built up inside her. Screaming, she pulled at her restraints.

"Whoa, there! Trust me, do you think I would be in this cage with you if there was even a _chance_ that you could-"

The ropes binding her snapped.

Roman's confidence was immediately drained. "Oh shit-"

She destroyed the chair she was tied to, leaping at him, and grabbing him around the neck. With her free hand, she punched the thick wooden beam, causing it to crack.

"The cloth!" Gasped Roman, trying as much as he could to scream while she choked him. "Use the cloth!"

She slammed him down to the earth and began to pummel him, pounding his face until she could break through his aura.

She would rather kill him than be used as a pawn to control Jaune.

But she felt hands suddenly come from behind her, covering her mouth with something that smelled terrible. She felt her hands get weak, letting go of Roman's neck, and feeling her consciousness- what little she had- slip away.

"Pyrrha, you are something else," coughed out Roman. "I mean really! You have no idea how much we drugged you! Like _way_ too much!"

He stood above her as darkness filled her vision.

"But until your boyfriend plays his part... you're stuck here with me."

END OF PART 1

* * *

 _Author's notes:_

 _First part, done. Glad you made it. Thanks for reading!_

 _-james_


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